JBVisions of Thatcham Berkshire

Frequently Asked Questions

Use the link list below to jump to the question you would like answered or jump to the first answer.

• What makes a good web designer?
• How do I know you're any good?
• Will my site be legal?
• I don't understand some of the jargon.
• Why do I need a Domain name?
• I get free web space from my ISP, why do I need to pay for a host?
• Where do I get a domain name?
• Somebody else has my domain, can I get it back?
• Once I've bought a domain it's mine forever, right?
• So what ongoing costs are there?
• What is a site going to cost me?
• What does a standard package include?
• What if I want more than that?

What makes a good web designer?

Many things make a good web designer and some of them will suit you better than others, having said that you should do your research as there are many cowboys in the market who will take your money and leave you with a site that may not work for long, be largely unusable by many of your visitors and cause you problems when it needs to be updated.

As a layman it's often difficult to know who is good and who is not so good. A new site has been set up precisely to address this issue by a man who recognised that businesses were being taken for a ride. Their page, Advice for Buyers is worth a read.

How do I know you're any good?

Good question. You don't. It's the same with any company you've not had dealings with before.

Our MD has over 30 years experience in the Information Technology field starting out in Customer Support, followed by Programming, Systems Analysis and Design, Project Management, Department Management, Budget Control and Performance Monitoring and finally User Training. This gives us a fairly unique insight into all areas of our client's experience.

We are members of a number of professional bodies who have assessed our work before admitting us. These bodies allow us to keep up with a rapidly changing industry to ensure we are using best practice at all times.

But we don't ask you to take our word for it. There are some examples of what we've done on this site. You are welcome to request more information or examples. If you wish we will also seek permission from a client of your choice, to put you in touch with them so you can get the information direct from "the horse's mouth".

Will my site be legal?

There was a time when you could stick anything on the web and try to get away with it. Many people were caught by bogus firms and to a certain extent this still happens. In the UK, in order to try and give consumers confidence there are a number of laws that have been introduced. At JBVisions we provide the basics as standard but your particular site may require more. The following links will take you to pages with more information.

• Disability Rights and your Web site
• UK E-Commerce Regulations

I don't understand some of the jargon.

We've tried to use plain English throughout the site but unfortunately there are some areas of the business where there's no other way to describe things. You could try reading our glossary, but if you still can't make head or tail of it then please call or email and we'll do our best to demystify it.

Why do I need a Domain name?

Well in theory you don't. Web sites can be reached by an IP address which is a number in the format 99.999.999.999 but if you want visitors to come to your site then it's a lot easier for them to remember a friendly name such as www.yourname.com. You will however need to be flexible with the name you request as many of the simple ones were taken years ago.

I get free web space from my ISP, why do I need to pay for a host?

ISPs give out web space as an aside they are not into hosting as a business. What you get for free is a very basic space that will only host a very basic site.  It may also have adverts at the top which don't promote a professional image for your company.

Where do I get a domain name?

You can get one from a specialist company or via your host or request us to source one for you. We recommend using a specialist domain company as you will then have complete control over the name and will be able to move it at will if you decide to switch hosts at any time. Buying via the host can mean that the domain is tied to them.

Somebody else has my domain, can I get it back?

This depends. If the name is clearly yours, such as a registered trademark or your given name, and the person who has it has no association to that name, then it is often possible to retrieve it. However, you must be sure that the registrant does not, for example, hold a trademark of the same name in a different country. This particularly applies to .com, .info and similar non-country specific extension registrations.

If the registrant has no connection to the name this may be a case of Cyber-Squatting, a process whereby a person or company register a domain they believe they will be able to sell on at considerable profit when the rightful owner contacts them asking for transfer. These cases are more clear cut and if suitable terms cannot be reached between both parties, it can be taken to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Nominet or similar for resolution using the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy (UDRP).

We can discuss the options with you but the decision on which route to take is ultimately yours. If the registrant is asking for large sums of money then it will be cheaper for you to use resolution. If however they are asking a smaller amount then you have to weigh up which route you feel most comfortable with. A number of clients have used resolution, even at a higher cost, rather than give any money to the squatter. It's your choice.

Once I've bought a domain it's mine forever, right?

Wrong, well, it's yours as long as you continue to pay for it. With a few exceptions, you buy the use of the name for 2 years. At the end of the period you will receive a renewal request which you should act upon immediately if you wish to continue using the name. If you let it lapse it will go back into the pot and somebody else may buy it.

So what ongoing costs are there?

Your domain will need to be renewed every two years, you also have to pay the hosting company who store and present your site to the world. This may be an annual charge but you can purchase more than one year for which you will usually receive a discount. Additionally, JBVisions will discuss options for maintaining your site with you, if you opt for a maintenance package there will be a monthly fee.

What is a site going to cost me?

Our standard packages prices start at 75 pounds per page plus hosting and Domain name charges. It is perfectly possible for you to have a one page web site for 100 pounds all in.

What does a standard package include?

JBVisions standard packages include :

• standard design and build fee - priced from 75 pounds per page
• standard contents include text to be supplied by the client in digital format, i.e. as email or Microsoft Word document. JBVisions can provide copywriting services at additional cost if required.
• images to be supplied by the client as 'JPEG', 'PNG' or 'GIF' files. JBVisions can provide digital photography services at additional cost if required
• a maximum of 500 words and 10 images per web page.
• standard contents include a plain header. Logos can be designed and included at additional cost
• Company web sites are now required by United Kingdom law to be accessible to all, regardless of ability. JBVisions web sites are designed to comply with W3C guidelines as a matter of course.

What if I want more than that?

Bespoke sites are quoted and priced on an individual basis. The standard page price does not apply in these cases and you can't judge the overall cost simply by multiplying it up, please contact us for a quote. Often the cost will be much less than you think as multiple pages will use the same or similar layouts.

These sites can be extensive and include advanced features such as Flash movies, javascript and other languages, online shops, database solutions and contents management systems.

Additional levels of accessibility can be built in to ensure your site is accessible by all visitors no matter what their disability. Creating a site that complies to the highest WCAG standard requires extra time and therefore incurs extra cost. JBVisions can discuss this with you at the outset. It is cheaper to build a site like this from scratch than it is to retrofit at a later date.

N.B. If you request a feature that does not comply with UK laws and cannot be made to comply, we will advise you of this and the implications

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We do much more than just build web sites,
we build customer satisfaction!