Custom Website Design
These days, it’s not enough to just have a website.
You need to have an exceptional website.
Make a good first impression
What’s the first thing you do when you want to find a business or learn more about one? Odds are, you Google it.
Guaranteed that’s how people are trying to find you, too. And more and more people are deciding whether or not to buy from a business based on their website.
If your website is slow to load, hard to navigate, not up to date in terms of both design and content, and most importantly, not mobile-friendly, what does that say about your business?
Let’s face it. For most of your potential customers, your website is the first impression they have of you and your business.
We can help make sure it’s a good one.
Make a good first impression
What’s the first thing you do when you want to find a business or learn more about one? Odds are, you Google it.
Guaranteed that’s how people are trying to find you, too. And more and more people are deciding whether or not to buy from a business based on their website.
If your website is slow to load, hard to navigate, not up to date in terms of both design and content, and most importantly, not mobile-friendly, what does that say about your business?
Let’s face it. For most of your potential customers, your website is the first impression they have of you and your business.
We can help make sure it’s a good one.
Don’t just tell… show!
An exceptional website isn’t one that simply tells visitors what you’re all about, it shows them through engaging visuals (images and video), stunning design, and ease of use.
When your website is able to captivate your visitors, they’re not only more likely to stick around, they’re more likely to become customers.
At Sandfire Design, we pride ourselves on our ability to get to know our clients and learn what their business is all about so we can design specifically for them.
Mobile is key
It’s crucial that your website be responsive, which means the content scales and stacks on smaller screen sizes.
More than half of website users are viewing sites on mobile devices (tablets and cell phones).
Not only that, Google ranks websites lower in search results if they aren’t responsive.
Most themes, including the one we use, are responsive out of the box. But we take it a step further by optimizing the site for mobile, meaning we change the size of the fonts and images on mobile, the order in which elements stack, and the spacing between elements, so your site can look its best across all devices.
Mobile is key
It’s crucial that your website be responsive, which means the content scales and stacks on smaller screen sizes.
More than half of website users are viewing sites on mobile devices (tablets and cell phones).
Not only that, Google ranks websites lower in search results if they aren’t responsive.
Most themes, including the one we use, are responsive out of the box. But we take it a step further by optimizing the site for mobile, meaning we change the size of the fonts and images on mobile, the order in which elements stack, and the spacing between elements, so your site can look its best across all devices.
What types of websites we build:
Small Business Websites
Most businesses don’t need sites that are particularly large or extravagant. But they do need a website that converts.
Portfolio Websites
Need a website with a large number of pages or content, or have an extensive portfolio to show off? No problem.
E-Commerce Websites
Want to sell your products online? We build e-commerce sites that are focused on sales and conversion.
Included with every website design:
The parts you see:
Modern, engaging design
Clean, modern and functional design that is customized to your individual needs.
Editing of all written content
Spelling and grammar mistakes can make you look unprofessional, so we don’t let them make it onto your website. We also offer content writing services.
Mobile friendly
Mobile-friendly sites are crucial, not only because more people are viewing websites on mobile devices than ever before, but also for Google rankings.
Site speed
We do our best to ensure every website we build will load in two seconds or less, which is the current industry standard. Bear in mind, however, that hosting plays a factor in this as well. Our Hosting & Maintenance plans offer fast loading speeds, nightly backups, and a suite of maintenance services.
More ways for visitors to get in touch
Almost every site needs a contact form, but we could all do without the spam. We’ll add Captcha to yours to help keep the spam at bay. Need an e-newsletter sign-up? No problem. Need a calendar for your upcoming events? We’ve got your back.
Premium Plugins
We have a vast collection of premium plugins, many of which add cool functionality to a website. We use these plugins as needed on websites, at no extra charge.
The parts you don’t see:
Image editing and optimization
We resize every image on your website and compress it before uploading it to your site. This plays a huge role in site loading speed.
On-page SEO
We use a popular Search Engine Optimization plugin to add meta-data to each page on your website prior to launch to help it get found in a Google search.
Google Search Console Indexing
Every site we build is registered with Google Search Console upon launch to get it found online even quicker.
Website Analytics
Website analytics are key to understanding how well your site is working for you. Monitoring your analytics tells you all about your website visitors: How they’re finding your website, what kind of device they’re viewing it on, what pages they visit, how long they stay, and what they’re doing. We use a premium, Canadian analytics company called Fathom Analytics on our Hosting & Maintenance plan clients’ sites, and install Google Analytics on sites we will not be maintaining.
Security Features
Website hacks and malware are not fun, but unfortunately, they’re very common. We take security seriously, and take all measures to ensure your site is protected. However, the best way to protect your site is with ongoing maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How much does a website cost?
How much a website costs can vary greatly depending on the scope of work involved. It’s like asking a contractor how much it would cost to build a house. The first thing s/he’s going to ask you is, what kind of house do you want? A two-bedroom bungalow with minimal ‘extras’ is going to be a very different price from a 5-bedroom, two-storey home with built-ins and fancy do-dads.
Same goes for websites. There’s going to be a vast difference in cost between a simple, informative five-page business site, versus a 20+ page e-commerce site with dozens or even hundreds of products, a built-in payment gateway, calendar/booking functionality, etc. It’s simply not a question that can be answered without adequate information.
That’s why every website we build begins with a questionnaire for proposal.Your answers give us an idea of the type of site you’re looking for and the scope of work involved. Then we create a custom proposal, just for you.
If you want to know more, or would like a questionnaire to get the ball rolling, just ask.
How long will it take?
A website can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months to complete, depending on such factors as time constraints (both myself and the client), how quickly we receive the necessary content, and how quickly the client is able to review and approve the website.
You can help speed up the process by making the website a priority.
What will you need from me?
Once you’ve accepted your custom proposal and signed our design contract, we will send you some information about our process and what we will need from you. But if you’re curious now, here’s our checklist:
- Your logo (PDF, EPS or high res JPEG if possible)
- Login Information for domain and hosting (if you already have these in place)
- Current website login (if you already have a WordPress site)
- Images or any new pictures you’d like to use for the new site
- Brand style guide, colours, or any special graphics being used
Can I update the website myself?
Some clients prefer to take control of their website updates and maintenance themselves upon the launch of their site.
If this is something you’re interested in, we will arrange a training session with you after your site is launched to show you how to log in and update your website yourself.
If you’re not comfortable updating your website and content yourself, please check out our maintenance plans.