Web Design in Mayo

Hi. Web design in Mayo is an alternative design service provided by Infiniti Mixed Media, an established design business based in Charlestown, County Mayo, on the west of Ireland.

My name is Mark Hardy (nick: infinitimm), and I am an experienced web and graphic designer with a design agency background in the UK.

I have been successfully producing high quality and low cost design solutions in Ireland with a carefully selected client list for over four years.

This has been possible by using a leaner and cleaner approach to web design and graphic design, rather than more traditional 'design agency' methods favoured by other designers.

Approach

My approach to design is quite straight-forward and no-nonsense.

Design is very complicated and also creative, but it is no more mysterious than any other profession, and the basis of successful design is mostly just hard work.

For me, design is about making decisions. You get a feel for what works and what doesn't work, and as this experience grows, the journey between the initial brief and the final solution becomes shorter and shorter.

I subscribe to the KISS principle of Keep It Simple Stupid, which I feel applies to most areas of design. Unnecessary complications dilute and blur the message/feel you are trying to communicate, which in turn reduces the return of how effective the design will be... Think about the simplicity of Nike's brand design and Apple's iPod and you will see what I mean.

Clients

Most of IMM's clients are based in the west of Ireland, and more importantly, the County Mayo area. The best results are achieved on a B2B basis with small and medium enterprises (SMEs), where the owner, proprietor or manager is able to communicate their needs directly to me as the designer, and I can then translate this to their market in the form of graphic and web design solutions.

Infiniti's clients are well organised, and know what they want. They understand the need for a consistent image and professionally designed material, and invest their hard-earned money with me, expecting effective results and a return on their investment.

I can do this, but to maintain the standard of Infiniti, it is necessary for me to limit the amount of clients I have on my books at once.

It takes a considerable amount of time to understand, research, discuss and analyse each client's area of business, so I always aim to take on client accounts rather than work on a job by job basis.

However, as an alternative, and concentrating on small businesses and start-ups in County Mayo, I am now able to offer Single Page Web Sites as stand-alone design projects.

Single Page Site

In the beginning there were Web Pages. The design aspect was limited and they were basically were just holders for essential information that could be accessed through the web.

Later came Web Sites. Which are more involved, with multiple pages and far more information spread across these pages. These have evolved over the years to become more functional and dynamic, and are styled better using HTML/XHTML and CSS.

Now we are at a stage that we can design and build wonderful and powerful sites at a fraction of the price they were ten years ago, but to have a custom designed look that is tailored for your business, optimised content, and cross-browser compatibility, all still takes a considerable amount of time to achieve.

This leaves a gap for the businesses that know they require some form of web presence, and would like to present a professional image, but can't commit a large budget to achieve this.

I feel that a Single Page Site fits neatly into this niche area.

Benefits

A Single Page Site is essentially a web page designed to the level of a full website, and with an extended amount of content (text and images) on it.

Instead of stretching a low density of content across multiple pages, and ending up with an entire page like 'Contact Us' just having your address and phone number on it, you would be better to concentrate all that information, keywords, images and data into one information rich page.

This method will work better in search engines, make the information easier to access for your visitors and focus all your inbound links to the one location.

• An economical method of presenting a professional image
• Use your own domain name rather than online directory listings
• Easier to optimise for search engines - get search results in Google
• Fast turn around - quicker and easier to produce than a full website
• Easier to write for - focus your efforts on real information rather than padding out a full website
• Works across all browsers - easier to make standard and W3C compliant
• More future-proof - will work on new technology, like iPhones :)
• Can be developed into a full site at a later point, if required
• Can be uploaded into your existing web hosting, if available

Is this for me?

This web design option is most suitable if you have a small business or a start-up business based in Mayo and:-

• You have a limited budget
• You would like to economically advertise your business
• You need a web presence but don't feel the need for a full site
• You need a professional looking holding page in your web space

If you have a good logo, and have written a profile of your business and services or product, you are most of the way there. Read my web content notes and see if there is anything you would like to expand or add, and we are then ready to go.

This offer is currently only aimed at businesses based in Mayo, as I feel that we need this boost more than other areas, and with Broadband now being more widely available here, the web is an excellent way to help push your business forward.

Areas covered:- Achill Island, Aghamore, Attymass, Aughagower, Balla, Ballina, Ballindine, Ballinrobe, Ballintubber, Ballycastle, Ballycroy, Ballyglass, Ballyhaunis, Ballyheane, Ballyvary, Bangor, Belcarra, Belderrig, Belmullet, Bohola, Bonniconlon, Carnacon, Carracastle, Castlebar, Charlestown, Claremorris, Clare Island, Clogher, Cong, Cross, Crossmolina, Doohoma, Drummin, Foxford, Geesala, Hollymount, Irishtown, Islandeady, Kilkelly, Killala, Killawalla, Kilmaine, Kiltimagh, Knock, Lacken, Louisburgh, Manulla, Moygownagh, Mulranny, Murrisk, Newport, Partry, Pontoon, Shrule, Straide, Swinford, Tooreen, Tourmakeady, Turlough, Westport

How much does it cost?

When supplied with all of the information, content and background required, a Single Page Site can be produced to the standard of Infiniti Mixed Media's design from only €599 + VAT.

Is that a lot? Well no, not really.

If you consider that a medium sized advert in the Western People would cost you around €300, plus the extra for a designer to create a professional look; which is advertised one time only and presented only to the readers of the newspaper that week.

With a Single Page Site you can advertise locally as well as globally. It is visible and able to be referred to 24/7/365, and your page can come up in the search engines as a result of potential customers looking for your product or service.

How much money did you spend last year with the Golden Pages...and how much feedback did you get from it? It's worth thinking about.

My mate says he can build a web page for me for €100...

Then by all means, go to him. :) I am not really offering bargain basement webpages knocked out at five a day. I am custom designing, attractive and well built, Single Page Sites to a high standard with valid XHTML and CSS, and then go onto optimise and index the Single Page Site in Google.

  What is this?

Ok, sign me up - what's next?

1. Well, the first part is to get your content together. You need to write all the text and gather any images you feel would work well in your site. You can refer to the web content notes if you need any pointers.
2. If you have a logo or corporate identity, you will need to get artwork quality files for these to be used in the design. These will normally come in the form of .AI or.EPS file and both are suitable for this type of web design.
3. If you have an existing style used on your stationery or brochure, it is best to supply samples of these so I can design the site to fit in with your identity.
4. If you already have web space, in order to host your Single Page Site you will need to arrange FTP access to this space. This will come in the form of an IP or Host address, a Username and a Password.
5. If you have any preferences on how you would like your site to look or even a style that you like, let me know. This is a really good indicator of what you are looking for and it helps me produce a better and more effective solution.
6. Finally, package all this material together and forward it to me by post or email, whichever is most suitable for you. I can then carefully assess your needs and confirm the cost of your Single Page Site.
   

Mark Hardy, Infiniti Mixed Media, Cloonfane, Charlestown, County Mayo
Email: singlepagesite@infinitimixedmedia.com

Writing Web Content

Consider your website (and even your business) from your customers point of view. Think about the impression you want to be projecting and decide whether your image is doing this for you. If not, it can be a constant battle to attract, nurture and retain the loyalty of your client base.

A good website is about more than just a great design, which can only take you so far. In order to get the user’s attention and make that sale, get that referral, or even a repeat visit, you have to offer something.

Whether it is access to information, ideas, products or services. You stand a better chance of success by making this simple, easy and enjoyable for the user.

You can’t please all the people all the time, so when considering your target audience, aim for the majority of your customer base. More importantly, remember you are aiming at existing web users. It is less likely that a non-web user is going to change their habits just to visit your site.

Some standard headings are outlined below, but you are encouraged to mix it up a bit to make it your own. Expand on these themes in as much detail as you can stand, rather than just trying to achieve the minimum requirements.

About Us

Introduce your business. What type of business is it? What is your background and history? How do you work? What are your unique selling points? What are your aims and goals?

Our Team

Introduce your staff, their backgrounds, experience, skills and motivations. How can they help or assist your customer?

Products / Services

Outline your products and services generally but in a structured manner. Give details wherever possible, but keep a good overview of the proportion - are you properly representing your business? Use industry terms, but support this with everyday terminology that your customers may use for searching the internet.

Case Studies / Testimonials

Inspire confidence by using examples of previous work and written testimonials from satisfied customers, especially if they are high profile or familiar to your market.

Order/Book

Is there a waiting list? How do you order a product or book a service? What are the costs and how is it structured? What if I want to cancel? How is my booking confirmed? What about shipping and delivery? What is your returns policy?

Further Information / Brochure Request

What is the next stage? Do you arrange a consultation or do you have a brochure or catalogue to browse first. Is there a charge for the consultation or is it free? Do you have a rep to visit their place of business, or will they have to come to you.

Contact Us / Location / Map

Contact details, hours of business, where are you based, directions of how to get there. Do you have parking? Do you have a map, or should you take advantage of Google maps for this purpose? Why not offer GPS co-ordinates for SatNav systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are asked the same questions over and over again, this may take up valuable time in your business, so put that information in your web site in the form of a question and answer. Take a look at my FAQs below.

Resources / Useful Links

Useful resources and links. Partner sites and affiliates. Are you a member of an official body or have certified qualifications. Can you link to this? What about web tools? Eg. currency converters or mortgage calculators.

Terms & Conditions

You can briefly outline the terms and conditions of your business, making it widely available for your potential customers to see. Eg. Payment terms, ownership of goods etc...

Keep it concise and to the point, avoid padding and repetition, do not plagiarize from other websites and try to maintain a high level of quality.

This ‘sweat’ investment will see a good return during the course of the site's life span, and will become a robust and essential tool for the marketing and development of your business. On the back of this you can build company brochures and mailshots, clarify business strategies and identify unique selling propositions and areas of opportunity.

Payment

Payment for the Single Page Sites is done on a pro forma basis, and confirms your order. This will only be taken when the material supplied has been properly assessed.

You can pay by cheque, but there is also an option to pay by Paypal, using your credit card or Paypal funds, at no extra cost. This makes production quicker and easier, and payment more secure in the process.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can we have a meeting to discuss this website option? No, I'm sorry but that is not possible. I am still working with my limited client list, and I am only able to offer this low cost option to motivated and organised businesses that know what they want and have got all their material together.

How can you do it so cheaply? I can do this job at a lower price because you are doing all the organising of content. This means I can concentrate all of my time on producing a good Single Page Site. Why would you want to pay for meetings if you don't need them? :)

How long will it take? Depending on work load, I can turn around your Single Page Site in approximately two weeks from the point that I have supplied content and a confirmed order with payment.

Do you do web hosting? Yes, if you don't already have hosting I can supply you with an economy package for your web page at €75 + vat, this will also include email accounts as well. .COM domain names are charged at cost with a 5% paypal fee included (€8 + vat).

What does a SIngle Page Site look like? You're reading one right now! This isn't the main Infiniti Mixed Media website, but a more focussed version to illustrate how effective a Single Page Site can be. If you're reading this - it works!

This is still quite new, but as an example of previous extended web pages, take a look at www.phoenixrestoration.ie and www.caseycarpetcleaning.ie.

Further Information

For further information about Infiniti Mixed Media, the list of services,
to read the blog or to view the portfolio, please visit the main site at www.infinitimixedmedia.com

 
Web Design Mayo by Infiniti Mixed Media