"The beginning is the most important part of the work. - PLATO

WHERE TO START.

Anyone with an idea can start a business, whether you have a product to sell or a service to provide and promote.

Getting your business online can point you down the road to financial independence, as well as allowing you to be your own boss.

There are just a few steps you need to follow, and before you know it you'll be joining the thousands of other small business owners across the UK and rest of the world.

"Make it simple, but significant." - DON DRAPER

LOGO & BRANDING.

Your brand is one of the most important component of your business – and that's why it’s so important to get it right.

Key to your overall brand design is your logo, which plays a very valuable role in helping you define and characterise your business.

"A user interface is like a joke. If you have to explain it, it’s not that good." - UNKNOWN

WEBSITE DESIGN.

Your website is also one of the most important component of your business – it show's who you are, what you do and how you go about it.

We can build the perfect platform for your business, allowing you to showcase your product or service in a way that works for both you and your customers.

FIRSTLIGHTDESIGNS specialise in simple, attractive, brochure-style websites that adapt automatically depending on the devicesd used to view it. Think of your website as your online shop-front – it’s where customers will go to find out what your business offers. Our custom websites will showcase your products or services in the best way possible to appeal to your target market.

"I have far too much storage space!" - NO-ONE EVER

DOMAIN AND HOSTING.

Once you've got your website, you need a web address and somewhere for your website to be hosted (stored).

Web hosting, domain registration and maintenance can be a minefield, with so many decisions over who to choose, what package to get and what is included for your money, so keeping everything in one place will give you one less thing to worry about.

All our websites come with domain registration and unlimited storage space for hosting as well as unlimited email addresses.

"Nobody likes to be sold, but everyone likes to buy." - DR. EARL TAYLOR

WAYS TO BE CONTACTED.

Once your website is up and running, you need to make sure it's easy for people to contact you.

Your website should have a contact form built in so customers can get in touch straight away. You'll also need business email addresses for ongoing correspondence. This information can then be included in your business cards or flyers - also essential tools for letting people know how to get in touch.

All of our websites contain simple contact forms that send straight to your email address so you never miss a lead!

"Social media is not a media. The key is to listen, engage, and build relationships." - DAVID ALSTON

SOCIAL MEDIA.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and many other social media platforms play a HUGE role in our every day lives.

A social media share is like a recommendation from a friend and is seen as a trusted source.

Social media can also get your product or service out to a huge audience for free. You need to be keeping in touch with potential customers on a regular basis with targeted messages, offers and updates from your business.

Our websites link to all of your social media platforms, which also helps with SEO!

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs." - ANSEL ADAMS

PHOTOGRAPHY / IMAGERY.

The right photographic imagery can grab your audience and capture their attention quickly.

The difference between proffessional photography and amateur, camera-phone shots can have a massive impact on the way customers will perceive your company and can give creditibility to your business.

Quickly taken snapshots simply won't cut it! Good quality photography shines through and should no longer be seen as a luxury - it is an essential marketing tool.

We have access to HUGE libraries of high quality stock photos but also employ professional photographers for those more bespoke projects.

"A website without SEO is like a car with no gas." - PAUL COOKSON

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION.

Once you have your website up and running, it's time to start promoting it.

A website is a great starting point to give your business an online presence, but without good Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), it is the same as having a glossy brochure left on a bookshelf at the . back of your shop. If people don't know it's there, they won't look at it and it will just gather dust.

If your website does not rank highly within search engines, you cannot compete with other businesses offering the same product or service. Research has proven that most people never click past the first page of results, so if your business isn't there, you might as well be invisible online...

"A website without visitors is like a ship lost in the horizon." - DR. CHRISTOPHER DAYAGDAG

ANALYTICS.

The work doesn't stop once you've got your website up and running!

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The work doesn't stop once you've got your website up and running!

You need to be able to constantly analyse the behaviour of customers who visit your website.

This is where anlytics come in. Analytics allow you to monitor your site's performance and identify what's working well for you and also highlight any areas for improvment.