Frequently Asked Questions
Listed below are some of the questions frequently put to us. Click on a question to be taken to the relevant answer. If your question isn't covered here, let us know.
General
- Do your websites come with any warranty?
- I've heard of lots of website scams, how can I tell the professionals from the cowboys?
Accessibility
- Who decides if my website is accessible?
- What happens if my website is not accessible?
- How can I make my website accessible?
Hosting
Usability
Search Engines
Standards Compliance
Answers:
General
- Q. Do your websites come with
any warranty?
A. Yes. We provide a 12 month warranty against all code written.
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- Q. I've heard
of lots of website scams, how can I tell the professionals from the cowboys?
A. Professional website designers will have a wide range of previous work and client comments to choose from.
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Accessibility
- Q. Who decides if my website is accessible?
A. You can run your website through one of the free software-based diagnosis tools (such as Bobby). These give a good idea of possible accessibility concerns, but as they are automated, are not totally reliable. Alternatively, WebImperative offers a free website accessibility analysis. The organisation in the UK performing the role of unofficial guardian of website accessibility is the RNIB.
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- Q. What happens if my website is not accessible?
A. The RNIB has initiated legal proceedings against several companies whose websites were in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act. So far, all these cases have settled out of court. View a summary of the relevant requirements of the Act.
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- Q. How can I make my website accessible?
A. You do not need to make a text-only version of your site; indeed the RNIB views this as discriminating against visibility-impaired users. There are over 50 checkpoints to consider if you want to make your website accessible. WebImperative can guide you through the essentials.
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Hosting
- Q. Do you provide website hosting and domain name registration?
A. Although we can arrange website hosting and domain name registration, we advise against website design companies hosting sites. If, for whatever reason, a client falls out with their website design company, who also held all of that clients' website and domain name account information, the client would be in a very awkward position. It's much better for the client if the website design company merely acts as a facilitator.
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- Q. What kind of hosting do I need?
A. We recommend Windows servers (2000 or 2003), running ASP, which is our preferred development language. If you require an advanced Content Management System, you will also need some Microsoft SQL Server space.
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Usability
- Q. How can I make my website more useable?
A. Although we do not agree with all of the recommendations of Jakob Nielsen, the web usability guru, we recognise that some of his comments are valid. Our sites are optimised to:
- reduce download times
- avoid frames
- use logical menus
- maintain consistency of layout, typography, capitalisation etc
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- Q. Is usability a legal requirement?
A. There are no laws explicitly concerning usability, although the boundaries between accessibility, which is a legal requirement, and usability do overlap.
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Search Engines
- Q. How can I get good search engine listings?
A. This is something of an art in itself. Key factors include:
1. Getting other (popular) sites to link to yours
2. Repeat submissions to the engines (we do this via our software for all our clients as a matter of course)
3. Buying ads via Google and Overture. With Google AdWords You specify which keywords you wish to buy, enter a title, description and link for your ad, and decide how much money you're willing to pay per click, and how much you're willing to pay per day. It does work.
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Standards Compliance
- Q. What is 'standards compliance'?
A.
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- Q. Is Standards Compliance a legal requirement?
A. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), one of the web's controlling organisations, releases technical specifications, recommendations and other missives for Web infrastructure. To be standards-compliant means that your Web site is built following the published and relevant Web standards specifications.
Because Web standards incorporate and support accessibility compliance, a standards-compliant Web site is one step closer to accessibility compliance. By making your site accessible to the millions of people affected by disabilities, you can increase your customer base. In many jurisdictions, accessible sites are mandated by law.
In summary, standards compliance offers the following benefits:
- Accessibility
- Faster page loads
- Lower bandwidth usage
- Ease of maintenance
- More compatibility; less lock-in
- More flexibility in selecting a web supplier or in-house staff
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