Amongst our varied work we build websites for businesses  including consultants, therapists, shops and charities.

We emphasise that we are “techies” rather than graphic designers.

Depending on a client’s requirements and budget we may refer them to our near neighbours Bivouac Design Solutions for a professional branding process.

Bivouac is the one-stop shop for design and print:  branding, stationery, signs, brochures, posters, PDF information sheets and web pages. Our portfolio states which sites have been built in partnership with Bivouac.

A typical quote for a 5 – 10 page site includes the following features as required:

- Graphical mock-up of home page
- Contact forms
- Emailing list subscription with logging
- Google Map and MultiMap links showing location/directions
- Google Analytics for visitor statistics
- Google Ad Words set-up
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Links page with reciprocal links ensuring a high Google positions.
- Coding technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP
- Slideshow scripts rotating banner images 
- Image preparation
- Website code validation
- Accessibility testing and accessibility statement
- Website terms and conditions

Optional extras include:

- “Latest News” on home page updateable by the client
- Content Management System enabling the client to update all pages
- Photo/Image Galleries
- Blog
- Online event bookings system
- E-commerce
- Recommend to a friend

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The higher a website appears in search engine results the greater the number of visitors.

For example: a builder located in York would like to be at the top of Google for “York builders”, “builder in York”,  “building contractor York” and similar searches.  The builder also has other phrases for which they would like a high position:  “house extensions in York”, “York attic conversions”, “property renovation York” and so on.  The builder also operates in nearby locations: Leeds, Harrogate, Hull etc. and would like high positions in Google for these localities too.

Google is the most popular search engine.  Google is usually used as the benchmark for a site’s SEO.  Where Google goes the other search engines usually follow.

An SEO project involves:

1. Working with the client to identify the primary phrases for which a high Google position is essential, and other phrases for which a high Google position is desirable.
2. Targeting phrases at different pages of the client’s website by making changes to the underlying website code (HTML) and content (the words that appear on the  page) in order to optimise pages for their allocated phrases.
3. Identifying and correcting issues that are barriers to optimisation.  For example, some sites are driven by content management systems (CMS) which don’t allow the website code to be fully optimised. In such cases the CMS would removed or replaced.
4. Setting up links from other websites to the targeted pages using the target phrases as the linked text.

Steps 1 – 3 are known as “on-site” SEO. Step 4 is known as “off-site” SEO.

Off-site SEO involves links to the target site from other good quality sites.  These links are usually, but not necessarily, reciprocal. A links page is set-up on the target site and other sites approached to “exchange” links.  Sites are chosen which complement rather than compete or detract from the site being promoted.

Often a client will already have a number other firms they do business with who will be happy to exchange links.  A builder might work with a plumber, an electrician, a surveyor, and an estate agent who have websites and can be approached regarding link exchange.

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After trying many we have settled on the following list as those which we consider to be worthwhile.

General:

www.dmoz.org *
www.google.co.uk/local
www.smilelocal.com
www.freeindex.co.uk
www.hotfroguk.co.uk
www.touchlocal.com
www.thomsondirectories.com
www.yell.com
www.bttradespace
www.doweb.co.uk
www.countyweb.co.uk

When adding a listing use SEO target phrases. For example, rather than listing “Semlyen IT” we might call ourselves “Semlyen IT Consultants York” and ensure that “IT consultants in York”, “website design in York” etc. appear in the business description.

After creating the free listing some sites will call to sell a premium listing or other advertising. We’ve never taken them up on this. The money is better spent on further SEO!

Online Directories for Property Agents:

www.email4property.co.uk
www.ukpropertyshop.co.uk
www.globrix.com
www.wheresmyproperty.com
www.clickestateagents.co.uk
www.estateagentsukdirectory.co.uk
www.estateangels.co.uk
www.estatepropertyagents.co.uk
www.home.co.uk
www.ourproperty.co.uk
www.themovechannel.co.uk
www.ukpropertyshop.co.uk
www.wheresmyproperty.com

Do let us know if any of these sites are defunct or if your listing doesn’t appear. Tips on other directories and why they’re worthwhile using would also be appreciated…

* Thanks to Shernni’s Candies for pointing out that I’d missed the most important of all – the DMOZ!

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• Incoming server: POP3 or IMAP – for the collection of email in Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail etc.
• Outgoing server: authenticated SMTP – most home broadband packages don’t allow you to send your own email via the provider’s servers.  We supply your with your own SMTP service you can use wherever you are.
• Webmail system – away from your computer?  Check your inbox and send emails from any computer
• 1 GB storage on the server. (Upgradeable in 100MB units)
• Spam/AntiVirus filtering on the mail server.  You can control how aggressive the spam filtering is and change the way email identified as spam is handled.
• Auto-responders – set-up “out of office” auto replies etc.
• Email forwarding – forward your email to one or more other addresses
• Control panel for mailbox administration – change your password, delete mail in bulk, set-up auto responders, control your spam filter and more…

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