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You are running a small business and you need a website that
looks good, but is cheap. Many designers will charge you thousands
of pounds and even then it may not be what you were looking for
in the first place. But a popular solution is to actually do it
yourself. That
is not as daunting as it sounds.
Eynsham company Media Trading Services is offering a service,
Web Boutiques, which produces a professional-looking site in
minutes. All you have to do log on to the company’s website,
type in your text and upload your pictures into the template – and
the rest is done for you.
Calvin Hutt, of Web Boutiques, said “Anyone used to using
a word processor will be entirely familiar with what is required. There
is no talk of HTML or URLs, it really is very easy.”
Businesses
which have used the system include cycle shop Warlands, in Oxford,
and the Hampers Food and Wine Company, in Woodstock.
The system is designed with an optimised account function which
means that, once the website is up and running, it can easily
be found by surfers using search engines.
After the site has been designed, it takes about 24 hours to
go “live” while the domain name registered. The other
advantage is that, when it is running, the site is not just static – the
look and feel can be changed, literally with a few clicks of a
mouse. Mr Hutt added: “The colour can be changed and
you can flick through different templates. “It is ideal if
you have news about key events, such as a trade show you have
been attending. Text and pictures can be uploaded very
quickly.”
Upgraded versions of the system are also available, depending
on the price paid, with the basic system starting at about £500.
Web hosting is inclusive in the first year and costs £150
for every subsequent year. A full e-commerce system is also
due to be launched in 2007, which will be a boon for small retailers
looking to attract custom worldwide if necessary.
Ed Hollingshead and Tom Bowden, who founded Media Trading Services,
have big plans for Web Boutiques. Mr Hutt added: “We
want to develop about 200 websites locally before offering the
service nationally. “There is also no reason why we can’t
go international as well.”
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