Website/online store designers in SEQ

[Inkan]

Hi there

Would really love to hear from any website designers out there as I would like to get some sort of idea on how much it would be to set up my webstore. I am in south east Queensland.

Any hints or tips would be appreciated too.

Many thanks

Inkan

[Gordon Akman]

Hi Inkan,
One of my brothers is starting an IT company next month and one of the services they are offering is Website Design. He is a Computer Systems Engineering graduate from the University of Queensland. Also, he graduated with first class honours (top few percent of graduates). For the last few years he has been working for larger companies learning from the senior engineers. Message me if you want his contact details. You will be dealing with someone who knows what he is doing.

[onlineiq]

Hi Inkan,

It would be hard for anyone to give you a quote without understanding the details of what you are selling and exactly what you want your website to do for you (over and above selling products).

My basic e-commerce package is $1995, and this is for all standard features, and no additional customisations such as adding blogs, customer loyalty programs, email marketing set up which all add to a successful online business model.

I would recommend you talk to a web developer and outline all the details of what product you are selling AS WELL AS your ideas for marketing it online and offline, so that you get not just a website but one which is designed to work for you.

It is also important to listen to their expertise when it comes to what will work best. Too many times a client can be so prescriptive in what they want, that we end up creating a website exactly to their specifications, but one which does not work to fulfil its purpose. So use the expertise of your web developer.

regards
URsh
___________________
www.onlineiq.biz
smarter websites

[John Debrincat]

Originally Posted by Inkan

Any hints or tips would be appreciated too.

Many thanks

Inkan

There is a lot you should know when starting and online store. We provide a simple whitepaper that will give you a lot of information. Hope it is helpful. You will find it as a downloadable PDF at the bottom of the page "How to start an online business?" Or this URL will get you there as well - http://tinyurl.com/startingonlinestore.

Regards

John

[Lis Sowerbutts]

Alternatively you could do some research and set it up yourself for next to nothing. WordPress (free) / an ecommerce shopping cart (probably around US$100) or paypal merchant account for payment processing (I think they have a shopping cart too which probably costs nothing more than their normal fees).

The most important thing though is knowing how you are going to promote your site to get traffic - until you have the site sitting well in the search engine rankings you are probably going to make few sales and the prettiest design in the world won't help with that

[John Debrincat]

Originally Posted by Lis Sowerbutts

Alternatively you could do some research and set it up yourself for next to nothing. WordPress (free) / an ecommerce shopping cart (probably around US$100) or paypal merchant account for payment processing (I think they have a shopping cart too which probably costs nothing more than their normal fees).

The most important thing though is knowing how you are going to promote your site to get traffic - until you have the site sitting well in the search engine rankings you are probably going to make few sales and the prettiest design in the world won't help with that

Part of what Liz has said is good advice and part I really cannot agree with. You should do your research and importantly write a business plan. Also what business requirements you have so that you can create a check list for yourself. If you are starting this as a real business which you intend to grow then get a professional designer and developer or go to a hosted service who do it all. One day you may wnat to sell the business and you do not want any responsibility. The biggest mistake that we have seen repeated in online stores is the do-it-yourself approach. There are lots of cheap and free services but you get what you pay for. If you were starting a bricks and mortar store would you be laying bricks, installing the electricity and plumbing?

I agree with Liz to a degree on the second issue. It is important to understand that form follows function - http://blog.ecornerstoresplus.com.au...b-dilemma.html. However it is not about just promotion it is about the whole business strategy. You may never rank 1 in Google or even get on page 1 and there is no one that can promise that you will. It is all about you and your competition. So you need to determine a strategy that includes not just organic search but also paid search and traditional marketing. Don't overlook the power of some flyers in letterboxes or around them local shops.

Selling online is a lot of fun and can create a great business. We have customers who started in their kitchens and now have large online stores withs 1000's of transactions a month (no longer in the kitchen). But just follow all the traditional business startup processes and you will find it works even online.

[Chris Bates]

I don't agree with businesses and DIY websites. Sure if you have the time, the patience, and the knowledge, go for it. But 95% of business owners would rather be doing what they started the business for.

As John said, if you're starting a real business which you intend to grow, get a professional. Or do DIY, waste time, miss out on sales, and end up paying a professional anyway.

Click on the 'Your Business Online' link in my signature, I do one hour consults where I not only help you understand what it's all about, but I build a plan of action with you to getting it done properly.

[Lis Sowerbutts]

I don't disagree that a professional site design and development can be important - and its hard to argue this in detail as the OP was very vague in his requirements.

My point was if a business is just starting to sell widgets online then working out whether there is a demand for that product is way more important than spend $1000's of dollars on a top-of-the-line all singing-dancing website - that can come later if there is the demand for the product. I personally know people who have sold websites for $10,000's of (US) dollars - all based on a simple WordPress site - the buyer was buying revenue and traffic - not a pretty design.

No sane person would decide to build and open a new real-world store without knowing in advance whethere anyone will come and buy their widgets. They will start on the kitchen table and sell thru local markets to first measure the demand.

Online, spending more than a $100 or so on a website on a "bright idea" - which is what I think the OP may be talking about - is the equivalent of building that pretty shop without the proven demand.

Once the $ start rolling sure re-vamp the site - if its needed - or revamp it if you have lots of visitors and no sales - but this is after you have the most important bit sorted - leads.

No there are no guarantees about hitting #1 in Google - but a decent SEO can tell you whether or not you have a chance and how long its going to take and how much work is going to be involved (and most of that work won't be on your own website - it will promoting your site elsewhere). There is always something you can hit #1 for - it just may not be "widgets" it might be "shiny blue Queensland widgets in size 10" - which lis a better qualified lead anyways.

Oh and in my opinion the last thing that any business should do is tie themselves up with one provider on a monthly plan which will make it hard to move their site elsewhere in terms of hosting or the technology used to devleop their site - as their business develops.

That is the #1 reason I recommend WordPress as the solution for most new businesses - its open source - and in English that means that even if you do pay someone to develop the site for you - you can host the site anywhere and if you don't like the ongoing service of either your host or your developer - you can change them both easily.

[avallach]

Originally Posted by Chris Bates

I don't agree with businesses and DIY websites.

This topic has been discussed quite extensively in the "$108 web site" article, rather than rehash what has been said on there, consider this:

If you imagine for a moment that a "web site" is simply a virtual outlet for your business; a shop, an office, or whatever. Would you argue against a small business owner outfitting their own shop or office? Sure you can get professionals in, but for many small businesses it's more practical to do it themselves in the first instance.

Web sites aren't any different, they just come cloaked in an aura of "very tricky and technical" that we techies have successfully created over the years.

[John Debrincat]

Originally Posted by Lis Sowerbutts

That is the #1 reason I recommend WordPress as the solution for most new businesses - its open source - and in English that means that even if you do pay someone to develop the site for you - you can host the site anywhere and if you don't like the ongoing service of either your host or your developer - you can change them both easily.

Unfortunately few people understand the true cost of open source or free solutions here is a link to an article on that issue - http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/solut...le.php/3736936. When starting any business you need to mitigate against the risks that might cause failure. Australia is behide the rest of the world in regards to selling online and building ecommerce businesses. Part of the cause is lack of quality providers but that is changing you can get a fully hosted online store from organisations like Commonwealth Bank for $65 / Month - just Google Comm Bank iShop. Or from Netregistry StoreXpress starts at $59.95 / month. These are both Software as a Service (SaaS), fully PCI compliant and not a bunch of clunky code someone stuck together and give away for free. The content in the stores created is just as transportable as in any other solution. The features and functionality are far advanced as is usability, all important to small business. These systems are maintained, upgraded and improved continually by the provider and not the store owners problem. Open source websites get created, never upgraded or updated and just become a millstone around the businesses neck.

On the issue of fitting out your own shop, yes small business people do that, but it is all about where you want to spend your time and effort. And by the way fitting out a shop is not building and maintaining it.

John