Web Design and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Letchworth based Hertfordshire (Herts) web designers since 1999
Epsilis web designers create effective, good looking, search engine friendly websites for small businesses in the local North Herts area. We are now based in Letchworth (having spent 6 years in Stevenage), Hertfordshire in the UK.
We aim to be friendly and informative, providing all the support and guidance you need to steer you clearly and effectively through the web design process and ensure that you end up with an effective website that appeals to people, ranks well in the search engines and meets legal requirements. We only use ethical search engine optimisation techniques and will explain to you exactly what is involved.
Our Website Design and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Services include...
- Web Design - websites which look good, are usable, accessible to all, are search engine friendly and legal. I focus on what makes a website effective - this means good content, well presented, search engine optimised and good value for your money.
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - oddly optimisation is often not part of what a web designer normally does. SEO comes in many flavours and often site owners have no idea what is being done. Effective long term Search Engine Optimisation is an intrinsic part of the way a website is designed and revolves mainly around the visible text copy on your pages. It is about focussing that copy on the keyword phrases you want to target in search engines. It is not something easily added later. I will show you how SEO works and work with you to amend your website code and website copy. Beware there are dubious SEO techniques now in common use.
- Content Management Systems (CMS) - allows you to keep your website up to date without specialist skills. I use the open source CMS systems - WORDPRESS and DRUPAL. This means you are not locked in to a Content Management System owned and understood by just one company. WORDPRES and DRUPAL are free for anyone to use and there are numerous web designers familiar with them.
- WordPress Blogs - a blog is excellent way of keeping your website fresh by adding new information like news stories, articles, press releases etc and provides an easy way of encouraging your site visitors to interact with your site by leaving comments.
- Website Optimisation for Smart Mobile Phones - With the new breed of smart phones it is worth considering how your website works on mobile phones. The smart phones (android phones, iphones, blackberrys, windows phones) do an excellent job of browsing most websites, however the screen size is the problem and can make it impractical to use your site effectively on a mobile phone unless you optimise it for these wonders of modern technology.
- Web Marketing services - online marketing covers a wide range of activities. The starting point is good marketing copy on your pages, then search engine optimisation, then telling everyone repeatedly about your website, do press releases, get published, get links, mailers perhaps and possibly Pay Per Click (Google Adwords).
- Website Review - is your site up to your expectations? With over 10 years practical experience as a web designer I should be able to help you make your web site more effective. My reviews range through Design and Content and cover issues such as Usability, Search Engine Optimisation, Disability Accessibility, W3C Standards and efficiency of code.
- Web Copywriting - great copy is the key to an effective website that appeals to people and is the basis of search engine success .... our web copywriters can work with you to get this right.
- DDA Disability Accessibility, Accessible Website Design, Accessibility Reviews and Audits - making web sites legal and usable by all on various internet enabled devices.
- Domain names and Hosting your website - shared or dedicated, windows or unix, domain names ...
- Ongoing Support - I provide free long term support to all my customers
Why choose Epsilis Web Designers in Hertfordshire?
I
formed Epsilis Web Designers based in Stevenage in 1999. After 6 years we moved
to Letchworth, Hertfordshire (Herts), UK. Most of our work is for small local businesses in the Hertfordshire
and Bedfordshire area.
My focus is effective websites designed to be search engine friendly. I am not a graphic designer who also does websites.
- I concentrate on good, focussed copy, effectively designed websites that are search engine optimised. I start with the premise that a website should be designed to do well in the search engines. This significantly affects the way a site is designed. So I normally start by explaining what works in search engines and what gets in the way - then we can get the web design focussed in the right direction from the start.
- I understand the legal obligations of websites including disability accessibility and how to design sites to be accessible using the latest standards and best practice guidelines.
- I aim to provide real value for money by listening to what you want and providing you with all the help, support, guidance and advice you need to make your website a success.
- I operate a fixed cost policy with no hidden extras.
- I enjoy long term business relationships with my customers and always aim to provide excellent customer service.
"Michael made the process of developing a website for our company easy. He is a wealth of
information on search engine optimization and website development and is always willing to give
advice and help. We would definitely recommend Michael without hesitation to anyone who is looking
beyond just a website and wants the site to rise in the search engine rankings. We look forward
to working with Michael for many years to come for on going developments to the website."
C.A.S. Electrical (Ware) Ltd Ware, Hertfordshire.
Our Guarantee!
I want you to be totally satisfied with the work I do for you my guarantee is simply this:
"If my work does not fully live up to your expectations first time, I will alter it until it is exactly as you want it, at no additional charge".
Please take a look around my websites. If you have a question or a query on anything I have said or about any of our services please let me know. I would value your feedback.
Regards
Michael Spencer,
michael@epsilis.co.uk
Epsilis - Web Designers and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
47 Farthing Drive
Letchworth Garden City
Hertfordshire (Herts)
SG6 2TR
UK
Articles on various aspect of web design and optimisation:
Making the most of SEO using your website CMS system - Is your Website or Webshop Content Management System Search Engine Friendly? Do you know how to make the most of using it for search engine optimisation or is that something you think is being done automatically for you by the software? If you are just updating your web site and are not thinking about SEO you are missing out on opportunities to get better search rankings for your website. December 2010
Google Places - local business search - Google is moving much more to local based search results and is now blending Local Business Places (previously Maps)search results with Natural search results and the distinction is now blurred but no business should miss out on perhaps the most effective measure they can take to become visible on local searches. December 2010
Tips for Effective Copywriting For Web Sites Part 1: How to Write Appealing Copy. Writing good copy for web pages is a necessity these days. Good web copy is unique, well written and interesting like any other written copy but with due allowance for the target audience, the nature of web pages and the requirements of search engines. November 2010
Tips for Effective Copywriting For Web Sites Part 2: Optimising your Copywriting for Search Engines. Tips on writing effective copy was covered in part 1. This part focusses on effectively optimising your copy to get it noticed in the search engines. November 2010
Google releases updated version of their SEO starter guide - Google provides general guidance for site owners on getting the best rankings for their websites - they do not give away any of their secrets and most of what they say is not a surprise. However this new Google Search Engine Optimisation Starter Guide provides a very nice guide to best practices for increasing the effectiveness of your web site with people and search engines. October 2010
Web Design Hints and Tips - Short hints and tips that do not warrant a whole article.
Tips to Help Search Engine Ranking For New Websites - Google's algorithms are designed to prevent new websites from surging straight to the top of the engine rankings. This is commonly referred to as "sandboxing". So what can new site owners do to minimise this problem? September 2010
SEO for Ecommerce Websites and Web Shops - Search Engine Optimisation for ecommerce sites is always a challenge. It is likely that your ecommerce content management software may not be helping much and your other main problem is probably that you are selling the same products as a bunch of other online shops. August 2010
Standing out in the Crowd - Optimising website content - Everyone is interested in Search Engine Optimisation for their website these days. It is therefore becoming much harder to get sites to the top of the rankings. So how do you get your website on to page 1 of Google? July 2010
Is SEO all Smoke and Mirrors?... You hear so many tales of bad experiences with SEO and so many companies pestering you regularly offering Search Engine Optimisation of one sort or another and - how do you tell who you can trust?
Search Rankings and Google Tools - Google provides a number of useful tools to help you get better search rankings. You should know about these if you are interested in marketing your website more effectively.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Marketing (SEM) Glossary - commonly used phrases explained
Good or Bad Search Engine Optimisation - How to tell the good from the bad SEO? Offers and promises that seem "to good to be true". The problem for most site owners is that they just do not know what are valid SEO techniques and what are not, so I will try to explain how to spot the good from the bad when you see it.
SEO and Web Page Design.... an overview of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and relevance to Web Page Design
Thinking about your Branding - Implications of Web Design - with print you have millions of options - unfortunately only a tiny fraction of these options are available to web designers
Legal issues concerning websites - There are a variety of legal issues that may relate to your website - Minimum information to be provided on websites - Copyright - Data Protection - Opt out or Opt in- Email Marketing - Distance Selling and Online Trading - Charge on Returned Goods - Trade Mark Keyword Online Advertising - Disability Accessibility The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 - Disclaimer.
Content is Everything .... to your website visitor and to the search engines!
A Quick DIY Review of your Web Site. Got a web site but you are not sure if it is any good – well here are a few things you can look at to give you a better idea.
DIY Search Engine Tips. Guidance on how to set up websites to get good rankings in the search engines if you want to go the DIY route.
Useful Website Design Resources - Here are some resources I find useful: Photos, Graphics software, Favicon, Web Safe Colours, Websites Fonts, Coding Software for Web Pages, Uploading Your Website to Your Hosting (FTP), Running Online Surveys, Marketing Emails.
Beginners guide to Search Engine Optimisation - If you want to know a little more about the basic techniques of ethical search engine optimisation
Link Popularity and Link Building Suggestions - Some search engines use Link Popularity as a significant ranking tool so obtaining good quality relevant links to your website can give your site a boost in the search engines
Marketing Your Website - a brief overview of most aspects of website marketing activities and our services.
Getting the words right - by Susannah Ross
Susannah Ross is the author of 'A Simple Guide to Writing for your Website'. In this guest article,
she addresses how writing for the web is different to writing for print and what you need to
know to make your words work for you.
What can you do with your web site: a generic list of benefits of a web site serves as a basis for discussion.
If you need a Web Designer or help with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) please call Michael Spencer on 01462 674840 or email michael@epsilis.co.uk
"Michael is a real pleasure to work with. He is thoughtful and makes useful suggestions to avoid snarl-ups along the way. He takes a lot of trouble to understand what you want and then delivers it with minumum fuss and without unwanted, and potentially expensive, extras. I'd recommend him to anyone wanting a no-nonsence website solution. Apart from Great Results, Good Value and High Integrity, Michael is Personable, Punctual and Creative."
London Quant Group, Baldock, Hertfordshire.