Netcentrics.co.uk

Any professional website needs its own domain name and web space hosting. Whilst some free, cheap and not-so-cheap 'DIY' services work around this, they offer far less control, and rarely impress customers or search engines. Buying new domains and hosting is easy; buying the right domains and hosting takes experience. A website designer or developer usually needs more access to these services than the site owner, so it's easiest if we also set them up for you. If you do fancy a bit of DIY, some of the free services can still be useful for pointing visitors (and search engines) back to your main site.

Website design is packaging and means different things to different clients. Some want a quick, cheap wrapper for their site content; others want something pretty enough to actively sell their wares, yet not too expensive and others want an entire visitor experience built around their brand image.

Web pages that do more than simply presenting pages of information have 'behaviour'. Even the simplest visitor response forms have to be programmed usually to check that the data entered into them is valid, and to forward that data to an email address or database. Generally, the more complex and unique the process, the longer it will take to develop, and in such cases, clear initial goals are essential, as changes are always easier and more cost-effective before code is written. Whilst flexibility always increases complexity, pre-coded snippets may handle common functions, and common types of dynamic site exist as pre-built packages that can be adapted to suit a wide variety of requirements, often with plug-in modules providing their less essential features.

Pete Wright established Netcentrics.co.uk in 2005 to provide professional, affordable websites for SMEs and Charities in Wales and the UK. With 30 years of computing experience and over 15 years working in the Internet sector, he is trained in software design and holds a first-class Honours degree in IT & Computing.

Cody's Pet Deli is an online business that sells pet food & accessories. Approaching Pete to set up a new website was the best move I have made. We wanted a system that was easy to navigate and look good when customers shop online. Pete made the whole process simple and dealing with him was a great pleasure. He can't do enough to help and solve any problem that may arise. I would highly recommend Pete for his experience and knowledge and total dedication to see the project through to final conclusion.

DogLost is a huge community of pet owners and rescuers spread across the nation, but other developers struggled to meet our needs. Since Peter rebuilt our site and support systems we have gone from strength to strength and have now won an Innovation Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. We couldn't have done that without him.