| We can help you with Web Design |
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If you are looking for a website designer in Corby, Kettering and surrounding areas, Kittiwake could be right for you. Why?
Because we specialise in web site design for small businesses and self employed who need a really cost-effective business tool which brings you to clients' attention, rather than a status symbol which just costs money. And if you are accepting help from Kittiwake with your accounts and profit objectives then you may agree that a web site by Kittiwake would integrate better with those plans. View our Portfolio - Web Design and Digital Graphics |
| The services we offer are: |
Website concept and planning
What is its purpose? "brochure" or "catalogue" function? What will be its limitations? Who do you want it to attract? What message do you want it to give them? Agree on the style and function of the site. How much will it cost? How long will it take? Decide on the breakdown of the site, like the sections in a paper publication, develop a house style for the website, and design a logo for your business, so giving it a distinctive character when viewed by your customer Design the pages content to put your message right in front of him. This involves inserting text and graphics into the page, where they can be edited at any time Publishing your web site in the internet Obtain a domain name (your unique website address in the Internet)  "Hosting", choose where your web pages will be stored (on a third party computer).
Technical support and maintenance of your web site Updating the page contents, adding new pages etc ("catalogue" website) Search engine optimisation Inserting the right keywords to get your site found by as many browsers as possible searching for your product or service Advertising a web site in the internet Getting referrals and links from other sites, web directories etc. 
Digital photography and scanning
Make your website a friendly place to be in - use personal images Show your services and products as pictures |
| What can the Web do for you? |
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Suppose you have a small business (or maybe just an idea for one) and you want to make it grow by selling more. What will you do? Rent shops, hire staff? Not for the faint hearted ! But why not consider how the Web could bring you customers without high overhead costs
How? Just imagine if for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you pay one person to stand outside your place of business handing out handbills about what you can do. Cost effective? Very doubtful ! But now imagine if you had 100 people working and paid 24/7 to hand out leaflets in colour all over your local town. Cost effective? Suicidal, more likely just think of the costs. But now imagine if thousands of multi-page full-colour brochures a week were being read nationally by people looking for something you can provide. Possible and Affordable? Yes, certainly, by using the Internet! It draws no wages and never takes time off. It can deliver your brochures anywhere while you sleep. No salesman could ever do this. As your trade gathers pace, you could make your site interactive, inviting a client to order from you online. Now, whatever goods or services you offer to supply, orders flow into your electronic postbox anytime and your client can pay you direct into your bank online - no more sending invoices by mail. But this is jumping ahead of ourselves - this requires web programming at extra cost to define functionality, whereas web design defines what the users see as they visit the site . |
| Welcome to the world of e-commerce! |
In 2005 56% of the UK's population used the Internet regularly, and by 2011 that will rise to 73%. In Europe it is higher and has doubled in just 5 years..
and growth continues everywhere. 79% of all Internet users use it to find goods and services - but they wont find yours unless you are there to announce yourself. You need a presence on the Internet and that is exactly what a web site gives you.
You can even think globally, if your business permits it, the Internet does not stop at local or national boundaries.
Just imagine You have a brochure or catalogue describing your goods or services in full colour with illustrations. That is what your customer is searching for, but instead of it reaching him as a printed document, he can read it on his computer screen, even on his mobile phone. This is basically what a web site does. And of course, your potential client can be anywhere in the world. This is remarkable because the cost of putting your offer in front of him is not measured in terms of postage stamps or advertising cost, as it used to be. As long as your web site is on line it is accessible to anyone anywhere who knows where it is, or finds it by searching. 
The cost to you is that of creating your web site and installing it on the Internet there is no further cost to send your brochure to 1 or 100 or 10,000 people neither numbers or distance matter any more. Try as you may, you will never find a more powerful or cost effective way of advertising your business
And if you wish to change the brochure or catalogue? Add or remove an item, change its price? Think what this would mean if you were relying on a printed document. But your web site is accessible by you on your computer to make changes which take effect immediately everywhere. No waste, no delay, no hassle. |
| What kind of web site? |
All web sites whatever their purpose contain a number of pages containing text and graphics in infinite variety, just like the world of books and printed publications. But a web page is a file of data - text and graphics, stored in the memory of a "server" computer somewhere, transmitted on demand over the worldwide web to the computer of the person "visiting" the website
Anybody can publish his own website on the net, resulting in incredibly diverse sources of information about anything imaginable. The style and presentation covers a spectrum from depressingly dull plain text to mind-boggling psychedelic stuff, from tasteful to tasteless. Content covers the spectrum from dull-as-ditchwater legalistics to outrageous and offensive topics. The standard of literacy from pig ignorant to ultra erudite. As an advertising medium there has never been anything to equal it, and huge personal fortunes have been made. Fortunately, most web designers do their best to present interesting and pleasing images. A whole new art form has come into existence with millions of enthusiastic practitioners. 
The simplest possible web site, your first effort maybe, might have just one page to advertise your existence, maybe using some attention-grabbing animated graphics - a "brochure" website. On this home page will be buttons to navigate to other pages (if any), like turning to sections in a catalogue. Whatever we may think about the content,we may be impressed with how easy it is to arrive at the information we want ........ or we may finish up lost in a page without a visible button to get us out. Sites like that are a waste of money because they irritate customers, who may not come back. Good navigation is paramount to make the website a joy to use and customers easier to find. Kittiwake will create a website for you which will bring credit and sales to your business. We provide any style and content you want but our preference is for simple good taste in the colour scheme and text style, plus a literate choice of words - and navigation buttons accessible at all times. 
We work directly in HTML for very fast page loading
A website can be much more than just a source of information from static web pages, it can also be programmed to work interactively as your online store assistant dealing with enquiries, orders, bookings and payment by credit card - although such facilities increase the complexity and cost of the site. We use HTML and XHTML code and we work on all types of websites whether business, personal or private. We also use CSS, Flash, Javascript and ASP technologies (the optional add-on software that drives the extra features of an interactive website). We have a commitment to each of our clients to ensure that their website succeeds. Our service is affordable and reliable |
| View our Portfolio - Web Design and Digital Graphics |