So in most cases "I know a guy" is still ok for most business needs but these days especially since the COVID19 pandemic, mainly thanks to home working, the world has become much smaller. In this Zoom and Teams powered new normal the fact that, in my case, I'm a webdesigner based in King's Lynn Norfolk really doesn't matter one iota.
Webdesign in Kings Lynn
As well as building websites for businesses in and around King's Lynn and surrounding areas such as Dersingham, Hunstanton, Heacham, Wisbech, Peterborough, you get the idea. Based in King's Lynn we can build you a website within as little as one hour wherever you are in the world, as long as you have an Internet connection and speak English we can build your new business website.
When it comes to building websites all over the world we think it's important to work to your local timezone, please let us know at the time of booking and we will make arrangements to work within your local business hours.
Need a local website designer in Norfolk?
Yes of course we still build websites locally in King's Lynn, Norfolk. We always enjoy building a Kings Lynn Webdesign as we haven't forgotten our roots.
For most clients we meet online but if you're local to Kings Lynn we're happy to meet in person to discuss your website design needs.
A website built in a single day while you watch over Zoom
Who needs a local webdesigner when we can build your new website anywhere in the world where there's an Internet connection, how amazing is that! You're probably already using Zoom in your day to day business life post COVID19 so you'll already be ready to have your new affordable and super zippy website built ...and don't forget we work to your local timezone.
The simple idea behind the DayBuild® is ...if it can be done in a day ...you can have it!
There is a growing number of websites using cookie consent management platforms designed to capture user consent for certain types of cookies. Such platforms inform visitors of the cookies being used by the website to make it clear what a user could be giving consent before they are dropped.
This blog post is prepared for website developers and business owners to give a brief overview of the legislation surrounding website cookie consent, and how to collect user consent lawfully.
What is the associated UK GDPR legislation?
The law around cookies (and similar technologies) is found in the Privacy & Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003. Although PECR has not changed much over time, the threshold for valid consent is now much higher due to the enforcement of the UK GDPR and that’s the difference. Key to getting it right is transparency.
What are the different purposes of website cookies?
In general, cookies are categorised as either strictly necessary or non-essential. The latter category could include cookies that are functional, performance related, analytical or targeting (marketing). Only those that you consider are needed for the correct operation of your website, don’t need prior consent. For instance, cookies that are used to remember what’s in a shopping basket, would be deemed to be strictly necessary. Whereas non-essential cookies are those you might think are commercially helpful but are not actually necessary to make the website work in accordance with its purpose.
Some cookies are used just for a single session whereas others are persistent and may hang around for days, weeks or years. Regardless, your legal responsibilities do not change.
What is needed?
Every website that is running non-essential cookies must have a Cookie Consent Management Platform (CMP), that allows users to give consent for their use before they are dropped onto the user’s device. Valid consent requires the user to make an affirmative action to opt-in or accept non-essential cookies which means that all non-essential cookies must be disabled by default. Furthermore, if you are asking users to accept cookies, you must provide them with a corresponding list that describes their purpose. Transparency is key.
Why the fuss and does it matter?
The answer depends on your risk appetite, but you should at least take an informed view. In summer 2019, the ICO updated its own website, issued new guidance, and indicated it was taking a greater interest in the misuse of cookies. But it is not the threat of fines or loss of reputation that should be your motivation to do this properly, it should be to uphold the rights and freedoms of the very people with whom your website interacts.
Despite the image of cookies being delicious items of food, the term is just a euphemism for tracking technologies. Whether you believe they are anonymous bits of code or not, their use is covered by UK legislation that cannot be ignored.
In conclusion
You must tell users if your website sets cookies, and clearly explain what they do and why. Some cookies are deemed strictly necessary and don’t need prior consent, but all other (non-essential) cookies do. For these you must obtain user consent by affirmative action from the outset and in accordance with the requirements set out in the UK GDPR.
With thanks to our guest contributor, Data Protection Specialist, Phil Brown
There are many options for getting a new website built for your business or project these days, some of which require you to do a little of the work, some of which require you to do much more of the work and others require you to do all of the work! The problem with the latter option is, NEWSFLASH, with the greatest of respect you’re not a webdesigner.🙂
Create your own website with a free website builder
So what’s wrong with create your own website platforms? Although these options look great on the TV ads and certainly appear much cheaper than a professional website the sting is most certainly in the tail. Yes you will get fantastic offers such as free SSL certificate, maybe a free domain name, maybe even a free “Basic” mailbox. …so what’s wrong with that I hear you say, sounds pretty good to me! Well let me explain, with a professional website designer you are tapping in to years of design experience ensuring your visitors get what they’re looking for from your website as well as technical expertise to get your website to behave exactly how you want it to, no matter easy they make something look they’ll always be some unforeseen difficulty. Content and consistency is also of paramount importance to any Webdesign, I’m afraid a picture of your van isn’t going to convince anyone of your plumbing or pet grooming skills. Content is key for Google and other search engines to get the gist of what your website is offering. I mentioned consistency, so often I review a DIY website for a customer and find the same tell tail signs such as inconsistencies in fonts, font sizes or other site wide elements. A professional website designer will setup styles to ensure consistency is always respected even with user edited content.
How much should a website cost?
So this leads us on to the question if you want a website designer to do the job how much should you pay? On the whole websites differ greatly in price usually based on both the complexity of the site and the experience of the webdesigner but other factors such as timescale of works, graphic design or copywriting. Typically a basic 5-6 page website should cost between £300 to £1000 taking the above factors in to consideration. An ecommerce website will usually cost a little bit more as there’s a fair bit more work to do behind the scenes.
Should I trust WordPress?
Is WordPress ok or should I go for a hand-coded website? Considering over 75’000’000 websites currently use WordPress I would say you’re in pretty good hands while also benefitting from a really easy to use user interface and regular security and feature updates. Regarding hand-coded sites, it really depends on the level of complexity required, hand-coded sites remove any compromise but drastically increase cost and reduce longevity.
But what about all those hidden charges? In many cases the less you pay for your website, the more you pay in monthly or annual costs. Always ask about on-going costs when getting website quotes! There are some webdesigners (thankfully not many) out there who unscrupulously make their money in ongoing fees which are often dressed up like Snake Oil in the Wild West – Be Warned!
The basic requirements to run a website are:
- Domain Name(s) – You need a .co.uk, .com etc, this is your website address.
- Hosting – This is the place where your website lives – Think of it as rented accommodation. There is a choice of Windows or Linux – We have a lot of love for Linux.🙂
- SSL Certificate – This stands for “Secure Socket Layer” – This provides the padlock shown in your browser to show your site is safe for visitors.
- WordPress – wordpress.org is free – NEVER PAY FOR IT! – Most hosting companies have a facility for installing WordPress and other such apps.
- A page builder – This plugin allows us to build your website within a graphical interface. We love Oxygen Builder.🙂
Other optional extras could be:
- Security software, usually a paid plugin – I’ve found the best security solution to be a simple 2 factor authentication plugin forcing an extra level of security at login, essential for larger ecommerce sites.
- Site backup – Always have a backup plan, things can go wrong either with the server or during a simple update, your webdesigner will ask – do you have a backup? The answer should always be yes!
- Custom paid plugins such as booking systems and ticketing systems.
Hopefully this post has answered a few questions but if you would like to find out more about the services and packages we offer please don’t hesitate to get it touch.🙂
