Square Deal Services

All of our web design services include any support needed to buy a domain name, set up hosting and configure your e-mail accounts. We may also explain how to optimise images for the web or show you how to use basic HTML tags in a Content Management System. Once your site is finished we can maintain it for you, or you can learn how to do it yourself - its completely up to you.

Traditional HTML and XHTML based web sites

Image showing HTML

The language of the web is Hyper Text Mark-up Language, HTML for short. Most web pages on the Internet are written in some form of HTML. To see the code behind any web page just go to 'View' > 'Page Source' in your browser menu - a window will open showing the source code for that page. XHTML is simply a more advanced form of HTML which is replacing ordinary HTML.

The way HTML is written can have a massive impact on your site. Poorly written HTML will not look right in some browsers and will reduce your chances of good listings in the search engines, while good HTML that follows agreed standards will look good in any modern browser and will be much easier for the search engines to read.

The World Wide Web Consortium (WC3 for short) is the body that decides how HTML should function and they are constantly working to improve it. This means that HTML is not static, but is constantly evolving. Web designers have to keep up with these changing standards, ensuring that their HTML is valid according to the WC3.

We always validate our static HTML web sites with the WC3 before your site goes 'live'. Not all web designers do this, some ignore these standards completely. You can check whether or not a page validates by visiting the website of the WC3 and using their free validation service.

Content Management Systems

Logos of different Content Management Systems.

A content management system (CMS for short) is more advanced than a traditional static web site. A CMS does not consist of 'flat' HTML pages, instead it is driven by a database which holds all of the information and content for the site.

The pages are written in a programming language such as PHP or ASP which creates the page at the moment it is requested. It does this by asking the database for the information and building the page there and then.

The advantages of a database driven site come from the benefits of using a database to store the content. It is very quick and easy to change the information in a database, so a content management system can be written in a way that enables anyone to update the database. This means that the web site can be updated by people who know nothing about HTML or web design. This type of site is perfect for online communities or sites that will be updated frequently.

Most CMSs have a range of functions including a calendar, the ability to post announcements, the ability to upload documents that visitors can download, a discussion forum, image gallery, polls and much much more! All of these functions can be controlled from the private 'admin' area of the site which is password protected.

There are many different types of CMSs that vary wildly in price. We specialise in the free, open source CMSs that use a combination of PHP programming and a MySQL database. Our role is to install the CMS, adapt it to your needs and show you how to use it.

Adapting your logo to work on the web

Image of Square Deal Logo being made.

Your logo will be an important part of your site. It is often the logo that dictates the colour scheme and general feel of the site. We usually find that there are three main situations with regard to the logo;

  1. The organisation already has a logo that is suitable for use on the web - all we have to do is prepare the file for the web pages.
  2. The organisation already has a logo but they are not completely happy with it so it needs to be adapted for use on the web site - we will have to do some graphic design to get it looking right.
  3. The organisation does not have a logo at all - we will have to design a logo from scratch or point you in the direction of a logo design service.

We can cope with all of these situations but be aware that we treat logo design as a separate service with its own prices. See our price guide for more information or view a selection of logos we have designed.

Web Hosting

Image of three servers.

We can host your site for you, or offer support with finding a separate web host. There are two main types of hosting on the market today, Unix and Windows - as a rule we prefer Unix hosting.

These days most Unix hosting accounts include everything needed to run static HTML sites as well as database driven content management systems.

Our hosting includes; 100MB of Unix web space with cPanel, 1GB bandwidth per month, 5 POP3 mailboxes, unlimited e-mail redirects, 2 MySQL databases, Plus a range of other functions. This hosting package is perfect for most types of web site.

Please note that we only offer web hosting as a service to our own web design clients.

Friendly, down to earth service

Photo of three business people browsing web.

As already mentioned, all of our web design services include any support needed to buy a domain name, set up hosting and configure your e-mail accounts.

We offer friendly, face to face support within East Lancashire. For clients outside East Lancashire we offer support over the phone and online using various messaging systems. We really do try to be as friendly and approachable as possible.

We follow the same basic process for all clients;

  • After your initial contact we will have a telephone conversation to gain an overview of your organisation and the type of site you need.
  • If you are within East Lancashire we will come to see you in order to get more detailed information and to make a plan for your site. If you are outside East Lancashire we will do this over the phone or online.
  • Once we have all the information we need we will spend a few days making page 'mock-ups'. These are example pages that we use to work out how you want the site to look.
  • Once you are happy with the page mock-up we will spend two or three weeks building a demo version of your site. Once it is ready you will be given a username and password in order to view the site as it develops.
  • When you view the demo site you will give feedback about any minor alterations. All major alterations will have been done at mock-up stage.
  • As soon as you are happy with the demo site we will transfer it to your web hosting account and the site can go live!
  • Finally, we may need to meet again to ensure that you are confident using your new e-mail account and to tie up any other loose ends. If you are having a Content Management System we may need to arrange a session to show you how to use it.