Answers

I did my own company website by teaching myself how to use the software so why would I want a Shop4 site?

To get the best from any software, it is necessary to put in a lot of time. It helps to have experience and a real passion for creating a successful commercial website. While you are trying to become proficient in website design, who is running your business? Shop4 will build a clean, easy to navigate, impressive site that shows off your business for a fraction of the price than if you ‘do it yourself’. But if you still want to learn, why not get qualified, put in the work experience and then apply to join the Shop4 team!

Will the site be search engine optimised?

All of our sites are built using semantic HTML and styled using CSS, a large part of search engine optimisation comes from the copy supplied by the client and the strength of it's content. We will also ask you to provide keywords and a brief description of your company which we will add to the code as META tags which some search engines still use when indexing sites or displaying site descriptions in the search results listing.

What happens if I have a domain name and web hosting already?

See the price less domain name registration and hosting for the actual cost. We sent you your website in a zipped file and you contact your hosting company for help launching the site.

I don’t have any images for my site. Can Shop4 provide these for me?

Shop 4 can source images for you. There are three royalty free images included in all our packages. We can source you more as one of our Extras. You can take photographs yourself, but Shop4’s advice is stick to what you’re good at, so ask a professional. Any photos of your product, must be good quality and show off your subject otherwise they will spoil the look of your website and fail to do their job.

Are there any hidden costs?

No. Each website is the price quoted. If you want extra services, these will of course have an additional cost, but you make the decision can keep control of what you spend. All our prices include VAT – what you see is what you pay!

How many colours can I have on my website?

You can have as many colours as you like on your site. We advise you to have your website consistent with the rest of your marketing material so will suggest you the colours you use for your logo. If you haven’t at this point got a logo or any branding, talk to us. We can help with this too. It is important that your website fits in with your company look. Either it takes the lead or it follows what you already have.

Does low cost mean low quality?

No. Our templates are created and built by our experienced design team. They know the business issues faced by smaller organisations. So create layouts that are easy to navigate and get your message over succinctly with impact. Shop4 offers good quality websites for very affordable prices. With only a small budget you can have a professional website that proves that you are serious about what you do.

If I want a bespoke ‘corporate’ site with complex functionality, do I have to go to elsewhere or can Shop4 help?

Yes. Our Small Biz Plus site is a specially tailored product. Rather than our pre-designed templates which although creating a company-specific site, are not ‘designed’ to your requirements, we offer you two alternative design routes based on information you have given us. You choose the route you prefer and we design and build a bespoke site. You can add extra functionality from our list of additional features.

If you require greater complexity, we discuss this with you and may point you to our sister company www.denison.co.uk

I’m hate writing so I don’t want to have to do the copy for my site, can Shop4 write this for me?

Shop4 offers copywriting as an extra. If you really hate writing this is worth the extra expenditure. Send us a rough outline of what you want and we will work it up into a warm, straightforward message for your customers. But we’d like to persuade you to have a go. Take a look at other websites and notice the copy that works, and also that annoys you. Remember less is more. None of us spends long on a site if our interest isn’t grabbed. What is your business offering? Why is it better than your competitors? How do you want to be contacted? Where are you located? List the key points. Then have a go. You may find it less painful than you think! Otherwise call Shop4.

What is the difference between Start Up, Small Biz and Small Biz Plus?

The key difference is that Small Biz Plus is a specially tailored product. We offer you two alternative design routes based on information you have given us. You tell us the one you prefer and we design and build a bespoke site. You can add extra functionality from our list of additional features. This package gives you considerable flexibility in how your website looks and how it works.

With Start Up and Small Biz you choose from a variety of pre-designed templates. You can use whatever colour you like (usually your existing branding), and by applying your logo, different images and photographs the resulting website is unique. The main difference between these two packages is around the number of pages and photographs you can have.

Do I have to pay for the site before you design it?

No. You only have to pay a deposit which is as follows:

  • £100 for Start Up
  • £200 for Small Biz
  • £300 for Small Biz Plus

You only pay the balance when you have approved the site. After the final payment we then make your website live. Do note: that if for any reason you have to cancel after we have started work we retain the deposit.