1. Why use Fatgraphics? [more]
- Excellence – We combine cutting edge technology with high quality design.
- A one stop shop – On top of building your website, we can do high quality photographs, videos, logos and copy too. No need to go anywhere else.
- It’s personal – We’re a small company that take a pride in giving our clients a great service. We’ll give you our undivided attention. Plus we’re still there to offer you support once the site is done if you need it.
- Experience – We’ve been doing this for over 20 years. We’ve survived the fads that have come and gone. We’ve kept up with technological advances. We’ll build you a great looking site that won’t look dated in 5 years.
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2. Is Fatgraphics a small group? [more]
The company at its core is the founder, James Loudon and a few very talented freelance designers and engineers. This means we only ever take on a couple of projects at a time, so you have our full attention. We’re available, you can always talk to us, before during and after the work.
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3. Do you just do websites? [more]
We do websites and more. For the website we can take care of all aspects:
- Construction – design and build
- Content – from copy and images through to e-commerce
- Support – customer support and software updates
- Web Hosting – a place for your site to live
For the “and more” we also do photography, video editing, audio recording and dvds.
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4. I’ve already got a website, so what can Fatgraphics do for me? [more]
- Refresh
We can breathe new life into your site, especially if it’s been up for a while. And ensure that it’s running as efficiently as it should.
- Service and MOT
The landscape of the web is constantly changing and functions that worked on your site 5 years ago, unbeknown to you, may now be troublesome or not work at all. An example of this is Adobe Flash. We offer a site audit to check things are running properly and look at getting fresh content and images on your pages.
- Keep up to date
If you’re struggling to find time to keep your site current with regular blogs, updates and news items. We can help with this. Send us your news, pics and items and we’ll write them up for you. This can be a one off or a regular maintenance service. Whatever works for you.
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5. How quickly can you build a site? [more]
Design work typically begins within a week of our initial meeting, and as soon as the layout is agreed then coding and page building can start a few days after. A simple site can take as little as 2 weeks from start to finish.
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6. I have no idea where to start really [more]
That’s fine. We will talk you through the whole process and keep it as simple as you like. We like to get a real feel for the personality of the business so will spend as much time listening to you as we do talking to you.
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7. Will I be able to edit my site when it is published? [more]
Yes, and it is an easy process. We use a very fast and effective Content Management System (CMS) that allows you to add and edit pages, build photo albums and manage a blog. The system is secure and will always remain up to date.
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8. I already have a website I like, but I can’t edit it. [more]
This is a speciality of ours – we can build in Content Management (CMS) to existing sites, or incorporate your current website’s design elements into a new site that is more modern, versatile and easy for you to manage.
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9. Do you use WordPress? [more]
Although we recognise that it is a very popular Content Management System (CMS) We prefer a system that is simpler and more secure. Having said that we do have a few WordPress sites that we have built for clients who have had specific requirements. So if WordPress is the best option for you, we can work with this.
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10. Can you sort out a domain name for me? [more]
Certainly, that’s the best place to start a project. We use a very reliable British registrar for domain purchase and name management and will help you with the process.
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11. Do I need web hosting. And what does that even mean? [more]
Yes you do and we can take care of that for you. A webhost is simply the place where your website lives.
We don’t use shared hosting. We use a dedicated server for all our clients. The reason we do this is because it’s more reliable, more available and has guaranteed better resources. In other words your site will load quicker and function better.
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12. I shall probably need some photos for the project [more]
That’s no problem. We take great photos of people places and products. We also like to go for originality. So that means no clichéd pictures of men in suits shaking hands in boardrooms, or wearing hard hats and pointing at things.
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13. What about Youtube and other social sites? [more]
A YouTube channel is a great way to expand your business and explain what you do. We can record and edit high quality video content for you and link this to your site. We can also advise on the best social media platform to promote your work.
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14. How about SEO? [more]
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) takes many forms. We use techniques to make your site as easy as possible to be found. Such as - naming all images you’ve used, giving each page a relevant title and description, using good page headings, having good content and last but not least - no typos and repetition of text.
In addition we look at getting other sites to link back to yours. These can be clients, friends, suppliers and whoever is up for it. Also social media pages links – it all counts to making your site be more connected and relevant. And that is one thing that Google always likes.
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15. Can’t I just build myself a website with WordPress and save myself some money? [more]
Yes you can, but how much time do you want to devote to this? Good websites don’t come without significant time and effort. Plus, off the peg website tools, such as Wix or WordPress aren’t necessarily as simple or complete as they appear.
How much time realistically are you willing or able to spend on this? For example, finding the right theme for your site or trawling through Google for a WordPress plug in (of which you’ll need several). Are you confident that your off the peg website will function and look as it should on Windows, Mac and all kinds of devices? Do you know how to check and fix this?
If you’d prefer to devote your time to running your core business, give me a call.
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