Business Website Creation Recommendations?

[type-r]

I am looking for a recommendation of a good company creating a simple business website. I could use WIX and do it myself but looking for a professional layout. I need a logo created, a one-page web 2.0-style webpage that contains an intro to the business, about us and a contacts section, business cards (with logo) and some letterheads created as an initial starter. I have done a search and there are lots of companies offering a lot of decent packages for around £400. Just don't know how good any are. TAT of 24-48 hours would be ideal.

[moustachebandit]

type-r said:

I am looking for a recommendation of a good company creating a simple business website. I could use WIX and do it myself but looking for a professional layout. I need a logo created, a one-page web 2.0-style webpage that contains an intro to the business, about us and a contacts section, business cards (with logo) and some letterheads created as an initial starter. I have done a search and there are lots of companies offering a lot of decent packages for around £400. Just don't know how good any are. TAT of 24-48 hours would be ideal.

Honestly for £400, all you are going to get is garbage.

If thats what you are happy with then go for it, but dont be under any illusion that you are getting a "decent" package. Amateur hour at best and it will show.

£400 for logo design, business cards, letterhead, copy creation, image sourcing, website and set is total chump change. Turn around in 24 / 48hrs is laughable.

[48k]

type-r said:

I am looking for a recommendation of a good company creating a simple business website. I could use WIX and do it myself but looking for a professional layout. I need a logo created, a one-page web 2.0-style webpage that contains an intro to the business, about us and a contacts section, business cards (with logo) and some letterheads created as an initial starter. I have done a search and there are lots of companies offering a lot of decent packages for around £400. Just don't know how good any are. TAT of 24-48 hours would be ideal.

Respectfully I think you need to re-calibrate your expectations. You could easily spend a week or more going back and fourth with a designer just to finalise a logo and branding let alone the design of the web page and getting the printing done and delivered to you. 48 hours turnaround start to finish is cloud cuckoo land. As the saying goes - "fast - cheap - quality - you can only have two of three"
Alternatively - put that exact spec on Fiverr and sit back and see what you get for your money.

[anonymous-user]

48k said:

type-r said:

I am looking for a recommendation of a good company creating a simple business website. I could use WIX and do it myself but looking for a professional layout. I need a logo created, a one-page web 2.0-style webpage that contains an intro to the business, about us and a contacts section, business cards (with logo) and some letterheads created as an initial starter. I have done a search and there are lots of companies offering a lot of decent packages for around £400. Just don't know how good any are. TAT of 24-48 hours would be ideal.

Respectfully I think you need to re-calibrate your expectations. You could easily spend a week or more going back and fourth with a designer just to finalise a logo and branding let alone the design of the web page and getting the printing done and delivered to you. 48 hours turnaround start to finish is cloud cuckoo land. As the saying goes - "fast - cheap - quality - you can only have two of three"
Alternatively - put that exact spec on Fiverr and sit back and see what you get for your money.

+1

To do this kind of thing quickly will just get you a pre-existing web template and a re-hashed version of an existing logo.

It can also take quite a while for a designer to get on the same wavelength as you. On the logo for example, I'd be asking them to work up a few ideas so you can then start to narrow down exactly what you like.

[sgtBerbatov]

So many times I've had clients asking for champagne on lemonade money, then get offended when they can barely afford the lemonade. You might be better off starting with WIX yourself but getting the logos and letterheads designed professionally.

[DSLiverpool]

Speak to Adam - great at branding on a budget http://www.adamtrevor.co.uk/

[technodup]

I'd echo all the above. I wouldn't go near that brief.

There are NO decent companies doing that package, because decent companies know the costs and time involved and rightfully charge more. If money is tight go for Wix, it's easy and cheap but it IS limited, especially when you start talking development, SEO etc. Wordpress would be better but isn't as user friendly.

And 48 hours is just ridiculous. All you're going to get is a world of pain from someone who doesn't understand client expectation management. A month wouldn't be unreasonable tbh, certainly closer to that than two days. And you're obviously assuming the poor designer has nothing else on for those two days...?

It's inevitable that the site will end up more than one page, unless you want really bare bones. Home, About Us, Contact Us as a minimum. You don't mention photos or copy either, which is more to think about/create/toss back and forward/revise etc.

[Altrezia]

We could certainly help but we start at about £5k, and turn stuff around in about 2-4 weeks.

[akirk]

48 hours need not be a problem - if timing is managed - we have often done websites in a day when necessary...
using a template and dropping in a couple of photos / some basic content / changing the contact details can be done in that kind of budget - however, the minute you step beyond that and realise you actually want more / need changes / etc. then the cost will rise considerably...

logo is far more challenging within that budget as it isn't a simple menu choice of pick a template and add content you provide - it needs creativity and will take longer and will cost more than you expect...

also don't forget hosting charges etc.

you need to work out why you are spending so little money on something like this - if it is really non-critical to your company then go with wix and make your logo just text... if it is critical to the business, then invest in it properly

[jonamv8]

Good luck finding that!!!

Go down the WIX route IMO and do it yourself.

If your technical (which I don't think you are or you'd understand what was involved a bit more) you could try and customise a WP template. Hosting and a decent template will set you back £100 ish. But it could take you a few days to learn how to customise the template, you could probably be earning more than 400 just doing your day job.

What is it for ? maybe the advice could be a bit better if we knew what you were looking to achieve?

[Flat-6]

A "Company" would be unlikely to entertain this size of job at that budget and time-scale.

However a Freelancer such as myself would certainly vaguely consider it.

A 1-page responsive template based (but customised) "Brochure" website, design of logos, stationary, 1 year's hosting, would run you about £1000, turn-around around 2 weeks.

plus printing.

Edited by Flat-6 on Wednesday 21st March 20:22

[48k]

...and this all of course assumes the OP isn't going to be a hold up in the required 48 hours turnaround so:
- website domain is secured and purchased
- all website copy is written, proofed and ready plus any other photographs or content is already complete and ready to be used
- you know exactly what stock you want business cards and letters printed on
- you're not going to want to review and approve a sample print of a business card and letterhead on the chosen stock you're going to go "1000 of these please" straight away

etc.

[akirk]

48k said:

...and this all of course assumes the OP isn't going to be a hold up in the required 48 hours turnaround so:
- website domain is secured and purchased
- all website copy is written, proofed and ready plus any other photographs or content is already complete and ready to be used
- you know exactly what stock you want business cards and letters printed on
- you're not going to want to review and approve a sample print of a business card and letterhead on the chosen stock you're going to go "1000 of these please" straight away

etc.

and of course that the 48 hour turnaround is not reduced by 24 hours of discussion on a forum
the reality is that it is very rare to need 48 hour turnaround, and most businesses who do are either terminally disorganised, or are just applying pressure where not required...

[Flat-6]

Think we've scared him off..

[jammy-git]

For that budget I'd chuck something up on fiverr, freelancer or upwork and see what comes back. Might be pleasantly surprised, might be a complete waste of £400.

[Mr Whippy]

Downside of haste with a bad branding is if you launch with it then change it it’s just confusing and more costly.

Get it right and then go.

Don’t start tinkering after launch if you can help it.

Find a good designer who can sub-contract the web work and deal with them on the right level.

[type-r]

Haha. Not quite scared off (yet!).

I think I will take the advice mentioned earlier and have a crack myself on WIX over the weekend. I am technical but not much of a designer but from the standard templates etc I've seen, might not necessarily have to be.

As I mentioned in my original post, not looking for a major site; just a one pager that holds the minimum info to advertise my business - effectively just a web presence should anyone want to have a google and to have something handy on a business card.

Thanks for the responses though. I remember coding websites back in the day (i.e. 1995) with basic HTML, index.html and java applets - things have certainly moved on since then and am now playing a bit of catch-up!

[akirk]

type-r said:

Haha. Not quite scared off (yet!).

I think I will take the advice mentioned earlier and have a crack myself on WIX over the weekend. I am technical but not much of a designer but from the standard templates etc I've seen, might not necessarily have to be.

As I mentioned in my original post, not looking for a major site; just a one pager that holds the minimum info to advertise my business - effectively just a web presence should anyone want to have a google and to have something handy on a business card.

Thanks for the responses though. I remember coding websites back in the day (i.e. 1995) with basic HTML, index.html and java applets - things have certainly moved on since then and am now playing a bit of catch-up!

Actually - at this basic a level
the vast majority of a website code is still fairly simple HTML
you could easily manage on one page as index.html
the major difference is probably CSS which is pretty straight forward - you don't need any javascript / other fancy stuff...

[jammy-git]

I would avoid Wix if you want a Web presence! Try something like Squarespace or even put together a WordPress site yourself with a template from ThemeForest.

[48k]

I would echo the above avoid Wix get a free WordPress site as a prototype and spend the weekend on themeforest and similar searching and trying out ready built themes. You'll probably get 90 percent of the way there without having to touch any html or css.