http://www.nquk.com/ The latest news fron Net Quality Web Design Nottingham and a collection of articles relevant to small businesses in Nottingham. en-gb Net Quality Web Design Nottingham hello@nquk.com (contact) Thu, 17 May 2012 23:45:18 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/how-to-turn-a-bad-day-good.html http://www.nquk.com/how-to-turn-a-bad-day-good.html We all have them every now and then - bad days! These can be caused by many different reasons nearly all of which are outside our control. However there is almost always something that can be done to temper these days and to give any negative feelings a more positive shine. Wed, 09 May 2012 19:23:53 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/starting-your-own-business-and-bravery.html http://www.nquk.com/starting-your-own-business-and-bravery.html A few years ago I was watching a documentary about business. Ever since I struck out on my own several years ago I have become addicted to programmes on the TV such as Dragons Den The Apprentice and Undercover Boss. I cannot remember the name of this documentary but I can remember it was about Brits who try and succeed in business abroad. Wed, 09 May 2012 17:09:39 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/how-much-should-i-pay-for-my-website.html http://www.nquk.com/how-much-should-i-pay-for-my-website.html I started designing websites for Nottingham businesses as early as 2000. As web design was a brand new business the cost of a website varied wildly. My dream was to start a web design company that could offer the creation of a website for small to medium enterprises at an affordable price whilst still offering unique and stylish designs. Mon, 07 May 2012 17:21:37 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/best-marketing-approach-ever.html http://www.nquk.com/best-marketing-approach-ever.html Earlier this week I was visiting a client for a new Nottingham website design and the meeting went on much longer than I had planned - the Small Business Website design that he requires is more complex and more interesting than I had at first imagined from his original briefing. Fri, 04 May 2012 09:38:29 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/website-designs-from-net-quality-nottingham---they-just-work.html http://www.nquk.com/website-designs-from-net-quality-nottingham---they-just-work.html We have already published some articles regarding browser behavior and browser choice Which is the best browser to use on my PC? and . Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:39:40 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/small-business-opportunities-still-the-way-forward.html http://www.nquk.com/small-business-opportunities-still-the-way-forward.html I was reading on the BBC website today that the UK has officially entered into a "double-dip" recession. It seems that ever since 2008 all we read is doom and gloom about the economy. It is easy to become disheartened whether you are an employee or a small business owner when being completely bombarded by such depressing news. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:38:27 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/facebook-timeline-and-your-business-brand.html http://www.nquk.com/facebook-timeline-and-your-business-brand.html Facebook is used by many businesses in order to promote their brands and as an online marketing tool. Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:44:37 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/what-will-make-my-website-the-best-in-the-world.html http://www.nquk.com/what-will-make-my-website-the-best-in-the-world.html I surf the Internet regularly to pick up the latest trends in web design pick up tips and generally look for ideas to improve the websites of our customers. Today I came across this site. The 100 Best Websites. Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:25:11 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/office-working-ethics---working-late-to-get-ahead.html http://www.nquk.com/office-working-ethics---working-late-to-get-ahead.html I have now been self-employed and working as a Web Site Designer creating websites in Nottingham for over six years. There are advantages and there are disadvantages but I have no regrets in taking my decision to strike out alone. One of the things I remember from my days as an employee and which I found to be the most unfair is the office work ethics. Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:11:10 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/which-is-the-best-browser-to-use-on-my-pc.html http://www.nquk.com/which-is-the-best-browser-to-use-on-my-pc.html Knowing all about web browsers how they work and how people use them is an essential skill for a Nottingham web designer. Designers for other types of media only need to worry about how their design will look on the intended output such as a brochure or leaflet. Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:52:13 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/virtual-easter-eggs.html http://www.nquk.com/virtual-easter-eggs.html Today is Tuesday 4th April and the first day back after a long Easter weekend with many of us suffering from excessive chocolate consummation. In keeping with the Easter theme this article offers 5 Virtual Easter eggs to youhellip What is a Virtual Easter Egg? And where do they originate from?. Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:22:35 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/do-we-really-know-how-the-economy-works.html http://www.nquk.com/do-we-really-know-how-the-economy-works.html So many of us have been talking about the credit crunch since it changed the economic landscape several years ago. But one thing which bothers me does not seem to have entered much in the discussions. My train of thought on this subject started many years before when I read the biography of Nick Leeson. Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:01:03 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/air-france-flight-af1180---no-communication.html http://www.nquk.com/air-france-flight-af1180---no-communication.html Recently I talked about 5 tips on improving your communication. In this article I would like to share an incident where the lack of effective communication caused a major problem. Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:14:44 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/how-nottingham-businesses-can-save-money.html http://www.nquk.com/how-nottingham-businesses-can-save-money.html When I left employment to break out on my own in business the first thing I enjoyed was the lack of routine. My last employer seemed to be more interested in filling out spreadsheets to record what I was doing rather than in what I was actually doing. Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:38:39 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/when-brands-become-verbs.html http://www.nquk.com/when-brands-become-verbs.html I am learning French at the moment and recently I sneezed during my lesson. I wanted to ask the teacher for a tissue and I did not know the French word for tissue so I asked her. She responded that the most common work used in France for a tissue is Kleenex. Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:02:20 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/5-tips-on-improving-communication.html http://www.nquk.com/5-tips-on-improving-communication.html In almost every business and in almost everything we do there is a need to communicate. This is performed on many levels including Non-verbal communication such as our body language how we dress or how we choose and treat our possessionsVerbal communication such as telephone calls addressing meetings or performing presentationsWritten communication such as emails and blog articles notes and post-its or quotes reports and invoicesI will leave the first point for another topic and this article will outline 5 tips which can improve your verbal and written communication abilities. Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:32:43 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/five-great-changes-you-can-make-to-your-website-today.html http://www.nquk.com/five-great-changes-you-can-make-to-your-website-today.html Small businesses are always looking for ways to keep their business fresh and interesting for old and new customers alike. Nowadays your businesss website is a vital part of all your business marketing and keeping it working for you is really important. Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:11:30 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/should-i-buy-all-domain-names-for-my-business.html http://www.nquk.com/should-i-buy-all-domain-names-for-my-business.html As a web designer I not only design websites I also offer services such as web hosting and domain name registration. I have noticed lately that increasing numbers of my customers hold many domain names for their businesses but only use one of them as a website. Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:05:52 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/magento-joomla-and-wordpress-web-design-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/magento-joomla-and-wordpress-web-design-nottingham.html I have been in the web design industry since 1999. In terms of the Internet that makes me very experienced. Having been involved in the IT industry since before that time my expectation was for things to evolve in web design at a rapid rate. Well I was right but even so I underestimated the rate of change. Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:19:35 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/what-is-the-best-age-to-start-a-small-business.html http://www.nquk.com/what-is-the-best-age-to-start-a-small-business.html I regularly read articles all over the Internet about small businesses. It is a subject which fascinates me. It is not surprising that this is the case as I am a small business owner. Not only that as my business is that of a web designer most of my customers are small business owners. Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:57:55 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/mobile-website-design-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/mobile-website-design-nottingham.html I knew when I started in web design all those years ago that I would be in an ever changing world. Little did I realise just how much that world would change. Back in the days of those slow connections through dialling up your Internet Service Provider that within a few short years most of our music would be online and many of us would start watching TV and films online. Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:42:42 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/the-trouble-with-multi-level-marketing.html http://www.nquk.com/the-trouble-with-multi-level-marketing.html I have always wanted to be in business for myself. Although I only took the leap in 2006 I had been trying to find a suitable business for many years before that. This search led me into the world of Multi-Level Marketing. I had forgotten about it until recently when I was researching Search Engine Optimisation techniques. Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:48:57 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/raspberry-pi---a-new-hope.html http://www.nquk.com/raspberry-pi---a-new-hope.html For many years many people have considered the craft of computer programming as being in decline. They believe we have been heading towards ldquoGame Overrdquo for the art of coding. Although pupils are taught applications such as Excel Word or PowerPoint in schools and universities the skills necessary to create these products are becoming increasingly rare. Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:37:03 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/the-5-best-places-for-your-keywords.html http://www.nquk.com/the-5-best-places-for-your-keywords.html A vital part of Search Engine Optimisation SEO is to identify which keywords your business will target. They are the building blocks of searching and all web based search engines such as Google are based on them. However once these have been identified the job is far from complete. Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:17:22 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/virus-telephone-scam.html http://www.nquk.com/virus-telephone-scam.html Four days ago I was targeted by a telephone scam. Out of the blue I received a call from a person confirming my name and address and claiming I had a virus on my PC which he could fix. I had never heard of this particular scam and so went along with him for a while to see where it would lead to. Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:46:57 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/seven-mistakes-businesses-make-with-their-websites.html http://www.nquk.com/seven-mistakes-businesses-make-with-their-websites.html Your website is one of the most important tools for marketing your business. It is important that it is designed well easy to navigate and includes all relevant content for your customers. All this good work can be spoilt however by making some astonishingly common errors. Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:37:38 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/do-you-know-what-your-web-designer-does-for-you.html http://www.nquk.com/do-you-know-what-your-web-designer-does-for-you.html In this world of intelligent media and psychologically informed advertising we frequently buy things that do not do what we expect them to but despite this we continue to fall for the same techniques. Sometimes it is with the things we buy or it could be the ideas we buy into. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:32:20 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/student-to-start-up-business-owner.html http://www.nquk.com/student-to-start-up-business-owner.html In some ways starting your own business is easier than you could imagine in some ways it is much harder. We have shared some great articles here such as starting a business in Nottingham. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:58:17 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/the-ultimate-salsa-recipe.html http://www.nquk.com/the-ultimate-salsa-recipe.html If you wish to scroll straight to the recipe please click here ndash the recipe is ultimate but the article is worth a read too! Web design in Nottingham and Salsa ndash what is happening?My 8 year old son has some of his friends coming round tonight and over breakfast this morning he asked for a Mexican style evening. Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:10:58 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/do-the-worst-tasks-first.html http://www.nquk.com/do-the-worst-tasks-first.html Running any business involves lots and lots of tasks. Some are enjoyable some are less so and some are downright unpleasant. I have noticed that I have a tendency to fool myself that I am working when in fact I am performing a task that has no immediate benefit. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:15:15 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/tips-for-e-commerce-websites-in-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/tips-for-e-commerce-websites-in-nottingham.html As I have now designed quite a number of e-commerce websites for customers in Nottingham and beyond I have gained a great deal of experience in this sector. Therefore I would like to share some of my best tips some of which might not be immediately obvious and may be surprising to you. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:21:34 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/should-i-be-worried-about-cookies-on-my-computer.html http://www.nquk.com/should-i-be-worried-about-cookies-on-my-computer.html Well it may be a good idea to explain what cookies are before we start. First of all there are two kinds of cookie 1. Server Side CookiesServer side cookies are snippets of information about you which are stored on the web server that hosts the website. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:09:10 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/the-best-way-of-advertising-your-business-in-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/the-best-way-of-advertising-your-business-in-nottingham.html When you market and advertise your Nottingham business you want everyone who sees that publicity to believe that they must go to you for your product or service and all your competitors think in the same way. The result of this is advertising produces another world where we accept unrealistic claims because no matter how exaggerated they are we understand why companies use them. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:25:58 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/small-business-owners-in-nottingham---staying-motivated.html http://www.nquk.com/small-business-owners-in-nottingham---staying-motivated.html One of the best things about designing websites in Nottingham is meeting the wide range of businesses that establish themsleves in our fair city. It still amazes me the diversity of businesses I see. Many of them are standard businesses I know well and some are very unusual. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:36:51 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/web-design-nottingham-and-gardens-in-kimberley.html http://www.nquk.com/web-design-nottingham-and-gardens-in-kimberley.html 5 or 6 years ago I purchased my current house which has a small garden that I do not really use as it is in a pitiful state. Every time I step out into it I see only mess. Recently I decided to do something about this and I am looking to hire a landscape artiste to plant grass shrubs and trees to replace the fences and to transform an unsightly jungle into what should be an asset and a haven from daily stress. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:57:35 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/what-is-the-three-click-rule.html http://www.nquk.com/what-is-the-three-click-rule.html When most people start with their own website for their business they imagine their customers will spend a lot of time browsing every page and hanging on every word they have so very carefully written for their site. But this could not be farther from the truth. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:50:48 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/the-domain-name-market-is-opening-up.html http://www.nquk.com/the-domain-name-market-is-opening-up.html First of all let us get some jargon out of the way to make this article easier to read. TLD or Top Level Domain is the group of letters that appear after the final dot in a web address. The most commonly used of these is .com. Here in the UK the TLD . Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:05:29 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/what-to-do-if-your-second-monitor-screen-resolution-is-wrong.html http://www.nquk.com/what-to-do-if-your-second-monitor-screen-resolution-is-wrong.html As a web designer I work with two monitors. My graphics card has two video output sockets. One is the modern DVI output and the other is the old fashioned VGA output. This allows me to connect two screens to my PC and by adding some settings to Personlisation in Windows I am able to stretch my Desktop across two monitors. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:22:27 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/google-doing-its-own-search-engine-optimisation.html http://www.nquk.com/google-doing-its-own-search-engine-optimisation.html I was astonished to read today that Google have been found out for carrying out a search engine optimisation trick in order to promote their web browser Chrome. Aaron Wall the creator of the SEO book blogged to the world that he had found this out by using his specialised searches. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:28:24 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/specialist-web-design-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/specialist-web-design-nottingham.html Something which we are keen to promote more to our customers is those special customisations and integrations many modern businesses need. Most businesses are still happy with a brochure type website that encourages visitors to call them or visit them and even many e-commerce customers are happy with a website that gives them orders that can be printed off and then dealt with the old-fashioned way. Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:24:59 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/should-i-use-the-flat-rate-vat-scheme-for-my-business.html http://www.nquk.com/should-i-use-the-flat-rate-vat-scheme-for-my-business.html I was helping a business associate today with some calculations regarding their VAT. In doing so I discovered something surprising about the Governments flat rate VAT scheme that many people had not realised. I am glad I realised it now as my business could soon be registering for VAT and understanding the flat rate scheme is important in coming to a decision. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:43:21 +0000 http://www.nquk.com/how-to-design-your-own-website.html http://www.nquk.com/how-to-design-your-own-website.html Now this may strike you as a strange subject for a web designer to put on his website. But I felt compelled to give advice in this area as there are many popular myths about web designing and I wanted to put a few matters straight. So many of my customers come to me as the result of wasted time and expense in wetting up their own website. Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:11:40 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/beware-of-domain-name-renewal-group-letters.html http://www.nquk.com/beware-of-domain-name-renewal-group-letters.html I received an official looking document today designed to look like an invoice and it was from Domain Renewal Group. It invited me to take advantage of their "best savings" . These "savings" amount to a charge that is five times what I am currently paying for these domain names. Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:22:59 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/how-to-keep-your-website-secure.html http://www.nquk.com/how-to-keep-your-website-secure.html We all read about hacking we all read about the importance of keeping back-ups and I am sure we all agree how important both of these things are when you are in business. But how many of us fail to apply this in our own business lives? I suppose it is a bit like many things in life. Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:45:28 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/starting-a-business-in-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/starting-a-business-in-nottingham.html A question I am asked more frequently of late is "how is business going?" more commonly from other Nottingham business owners. Ever since the credit crunch struck it is as if we all want to gauge how other companies are doing and how good their confidence is in the market place. Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:47:29 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/what-the-colours-on-your-website-say-about-your-business.html http://www.nquk.com/what-the-colours-on-your-website-say-about-your-business.html The hardest part of my job is not all the technical stuff. Yes it was difficult to learn and took me a long time but I have learned it now and that side of the job is relatively easy. No the really hard part is when I have been commissioned to create a new website and I am sitting in front of a blank screen trying to decide how this website is going to look. Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:28:12 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/does-my-website-need-the-www-at-the-beginning-of-it.html http://www.nquk.com/does-my-website-need-the-www-at-the-beginning-of-it.html This is something with which we are all familiar. Most website addresses URIs are quoted as beginning with www. Many years ago before the Internet became popular this was quite important. Nowadays it is completely unimportant. So why do we continue to use it? My theory is that we like to see patterns in things like addresses so that we can quickly identify to what it relates. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:41:51 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/the-future-of-businesses-in-hucknall.html http://www.nquk.com/the-future-of-businesses-in-hucknall.html I was reading a local newspapers report on the future opening of the Byron Business centre in Hucknall. It was of interest to me because it is right behind the premises where I live and work. My property overlooks an old and dilapidated school which has been left to rack and ruin for the past 15 years or so. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:39:52 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/the-best-and-worst-of-web-design.html http://www.nquk.com/the-best-and-worst-of-web-design.html Many aspects of web design are merely opinion. A colour to one person may look stylish and to another may look garish. Like any kind of design beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. However despite this there are still certain rules that must be followed and not to do so could spell disaster for your website and the purpose for which it was created. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 18:49:42 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/why-should-you-care-about-the-quality-of-your-website.html http://www.nquk.com/why-should-you-care-about-the-quality-of-your-website.html With so many aspects of business our standards are very high. This is natural because we want the outside world to view our businesses as an honest reliable and professional outfit and everything that is put out into the world represents your business whether it be the sign above your shop your business card or your website. Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:31:03 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/should-i-have-a-blog-on-my-website.html http://www.nquk.com/should-i-have-a-blog-on-my-website.html I think that blogging falls into that category of things about which we hear a lot but of which we know next to nothing. Chats with friends and colleagues can often elicit pressure on the small business owner with phrases such as "you have to get your business on Facebook" "you have to be on Twitter" "you must have a blog for your business". Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:22:21 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/glossary-of-web-design-and-internet-jargon.html http://www.nquk.com/glossary-of-web-design-and-internet-jargon.html In technical fields jargon has two potential objectives one is positive and the other negative. The positive objective is to allow one to refer to a complex system or group of things with one simple word acronym or phrase. The negative objective is to exclude outsiders from understanding what it is that you are talking about. Thu, 09 Jun 2011 11:53:12 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/using-photos-on-your-website.html http://www.nquk.com/using-photos-on-your-website.html Few small businesses have the funds to pay a professional photographer to create the type of images that look impressive on a website. Beyond a picture of your premises and if applicable your showroom is usually about all that you will have. To fill this gap websites that sell images created by other photographers have been springing up all over the Internet. Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:33:46 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/should-my-website-have-a-site-map.html http://www.nquk.com/should-my-website-have-a-site-map.html The first thing to consider when deciding whether or not you should include a site map on your website is to talk about the two types of site maps that there are 1. An XML Site MapThe purpose of this type of site map is to structure the data containing information about all the pages on your website in a format that is easily readable by computer programs. Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:49:31 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/get-a-web-designer-who-understands-marketing.html http://www.nquk.com/get-a-web-designer-who-understands-marketing.html I was reading an article today on the website of a well respected Nottingham publication. It was revealing that whilst 95 of Nottingham businesses have a website only 26 percent of businesses were taking advantage of affiliate marketing opportunities. Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:51:13 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/guide-for-ecommerce-web-design-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/guide-for-ecommerce-web-design-nottingham.html John Lennon once said that life is what happens when youre making other plans. I must confess that when I started Net Quality Web Design I had no plans to create an ecommerce website. It seemed to be an area of web design beset by complexity and pitfalls. Tue, 31 May 2011 10:41:39 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/starting-a-new-business-in-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/starting-a-new-business-in-nottingham.html When I decided I was going to leave a well-paid secure job to start my own Web Design business I was living down south near London. I knew that I was not going to earn a living straight away so I also decided that I was going to return to Nottingham where I already had family and friends. Mon, 30 May 2011 16:39:32 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/web-design-nottingham-for-fast-websites.html http://www.nquk.com/web-design-nottingham-for-fast-websites.html One of the first things I learned as a web designer is that I should design a website as if the visitor is the most impatient person in the world. Why should I do this? Because the vast majority of visitors to websites are very impatient. You would think that in these days of broadband that all web pages would load fast. Wed, 25 May 2011 15:32:12 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/what-details-must-you-have-by-law-on-your-website.html http://www.nquk.com/what-details-must-you-have-by-law-on-your-website.html I remember reading an article which I came across simply by chance a few years ago about a little publicised but very important change in the law concerning your website. The government had decided that fly-by-night companies who set up websites and hid their contact details should no longer be allowed. Tue, 24 May 2011 15:35:31 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/making-better-use-of-your-website.html http://www.nquk.com/making-better-use-of-your-website.html Make Your Website Work for Your Business in Nottingham When I started Net Quality back in 2005 demand for websites in Nottingham was quite straightforward. Most small businesses either had a brochure type website or a database drive ecommerce website that allowed them to control products which were sold online. Mon, 23 May 2011 15:56:05 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/live-chat-software-for-nottingham-businesses.html http://www.nquk.com/live-chat-software-for-nottingham-businesses.html A few weeks ago I added a live chat facility to Net Qualitys website. The thinking behind it is that I want to encourage visitors to my site to contact me. That is why I publicise my telephone and fax numbers on every page I offer a call back service a contact form an email address and even a link to chat on Skype. Fri, 20 May 2011 10:08:01 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/business-diversity-in-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/business-diversity-in-nottingham.html I have been designing websites since 1999 but it was in 2005 that I broke free from the corporate world and set myself up as a web designer in Nottingham. One of the most amazing and unexpected benefits of my work in website design was the sheer diversity there is of business types in Nottingham that I come across. Wed, 18 May 2011 18:20:21 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/website-browser-compatibility.html http://www.nquk.com/website-browser-compatibility.html There is something you used to see a lot on websites back in the 1990s. It was that awful phrase "this site is best viewed in this resolution with that browser". Can you believe it? Website designers were actually telling you what your screen resolution should be and not only that they wanted to dictate which web browser you should use. Tue, 17 May 2011 11:43:18 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/business-website-hosting.html http://www.nquk.com/business-website-hosting.html Looking for a suitable web host is one of the most important decisions taken by a business but often one to which little time is given. With so many options for hosting your website from companies that charge a small amount to bills that run into thousands of pounds a year it is not an easy decision if you lack information. Mon, 16 May 2011 18:27:58 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/nottingham-business-email-google-integration.html http://www.nquk.com/nottingham-business-email-google-integration.html Among the many services we offer at Net Quality Web Design Nottingham is email which is of course one of the basic offerings expected from any website designer. Most businesses require fixed access to email at their place of business and this involves setting up the email account in software such as Outlook Windows Mail or Thunderbird. Fri, 13 May 2011 11:44:10 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/the-five-most-important-tips-for-web-design.html http://www.nquk.com/the-five-most-important-tips-for-web-design.html The age of the Internet is maturing and the standard of websites is so much higher than it was just a few short years ago. However many business owners are still making some basic errors with their web design and if corrected could lead to more visitors and more customers. Wed, 11 May 2011 15:05:47 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/beware-of-dodgy-seo-companies.html http://www.nquk.com/beware-of-dodgy-seo-companies.html I have covered this subject in a previous article but I felt it worth covering in more detail. Many of my customers receive regular sales calls from Search Engine Optimisation companies trying to sell their services. Whilst I am sure there are genuine companies around I have yet to encounter one. Tue, 10 May 2011 17:12:47 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/net-quality-adopts-html5-web-design-standards.html http://www.nquk.com/net-quality-adopts-html5-web-design-standards.html Ever since we at Net Quality started to design websites we decided from the very start that we would follow the very strict guidelines for XHTML. This would have two benefits for our customers it helps consistency of layout between different types of browsers and different operating systems and by separating content from layout it also ensures that a website is accessible to those with disabilities. Mon, 02 May 2011 09:58:17 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/get-to-page-one-of-google---a-warning.html http://www.nquk.com/get-to-page-one-of-google---a-warning.html An increasing problem we have noticed at Net Quality Web Design Nottingham is that an increasing number of our customers are receiving unsolicited telephone calls and emails from companies who promise to get you onto page one of Google. There is a simple truth to this it is not true. Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:10:14 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-web-host.html http://www.nquk.com/what-to-look-for-in-a-web-host.html Once a website has been designed and is ready to be published it is necessary to find web hosting for that site. This is a service in common with all web designers which is provided by Net Quality. Choosing the right web host is just as important as choosing the right web designer. Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:46:55 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/search-engine-optimisation-inbound-links.html http://www.nquk.com/search-engine-optimisation-inbound-links.html This is a subject affecting many businesses in Nottingham and elsewhere. It is will known that each inbound link to your website is seen by most search engines and most importantly by Google as a vote for your site and will enhance your position in the Search Engine Results Pages SERPs. Sat, 23 Apr 2011 16:45:17 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/websites-and-the-credit-crunch.html http://www.nquk.com/websites-and-the-credit-crunch.html The businesses in Nottingham that have mainly been affected by the credit crunch are those businesses that have relied on the same sources of business for a long time often for many years. When these traditional sources dry up the business owner finds themselves in unchartered territory. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:54:55 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/ecommerce-web-design-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/ecommerce-web-design-nottingham.html My previous article was discussing what elements are essential to add to any website. I broke it down into severl areas and I suggest that you read that article before this one. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:21:29 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/what-type-of-website-do-i-need.html http://www.nquk.com/what-type-of-website-do-i-need.html The world of the Web Design is so complicated these days and with so many web designers offering so many options it is increasingly difficult to truly understand what services and facilities you need for your businesss website. In this article I will break down the most common elements for you to help you understand the options available and make it easier to make a decision as to what facilities and services your website requires. Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:38:29 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/find-a-web-designer-in-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/find-a-web-designer-in-nottingham.html When I started designing websites for Nottingham businesses in 2006 there were a small handful of web designers and web design agencies in the area. It was quite easy to find customers as there was such a small amount of competition. Move on five years to 2011 in the market place for web design in Nottingham has completely changed. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:55:17 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/new-features-for-net-quality-web-design-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/new-features-for-net-quality-web-design-nottingham.html Today we have added some new features to the Net Quality website to further enhance our service providing of Web Design in Nottingham. Live ChatWe have for a long time offered live chat facilities on our contact page to allow people to contact us using Skype. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:02:11 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/find-the-right-name-for-your-business.html http://www.nquk.com/find-the-right-name-for-your-business.html The perfect way to introduce this subject is to talk a little bit about how we came to be named Net Quality When we were thinking up new names for our venture we were playing with the phrase "Information Super-highway" a phrase that was coined much during the early days of the Internet. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:22:10 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/what-constitutes-good-web-design.html http://www.nquk.com/what-constitutes-good-web-design.html Web Design is a strange old business! If you are a driving instructor you have a simple objective that you and your customer both understand. To get them to pass their driving test. If you are a Dentist the same rule applies. Both you and your client want their pain taken away and their teeth looking good. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:28:15 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/style-versus-accessibility.html http://www.nquk.com/style-versus-accessibility.html One of the toughest balances that todays Small Businesses and their Web Designers have to strike is that between style and accessibility. Everybody in business today wants their website to stand out from the crowd. This means that Web Designers like Net Quality must ensure that every site they design is truly stylish. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:01:23 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/the-ultimate-small-business-marketing-method.html http://www.nquk.com/the-ultimate-small-business-marketing-method.html Anyone who has started there own business will tell you that the biggest obstacle to overcome was not the idea and it certainly wasnt the hard work. Its how to get customers to take an interest in your product. You can have the greatest product in the world or offer the greatest service in the world. Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:45:31 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/value-for-money-web-design-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/value-for-money-web-design-nottingham.html Cheap Web Sites are very easy for businesses to obtain. There is plenty of free Web Hosting out there from your Internet Service Provider ISP. They often include technology to help you design a site without having to understand HTML Cascading Style Sheets or JavaScript. Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:47:45 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/why-does-my-successful-business-need-a-website.html http://www.nquk.com/why-does-my-successful-business-need-a-website.html Many small businesses in the UK still do not have a website. So if you are already running a successful business without a website why have one? Through the use of careful Web Design Net Quality have been particularly successful in optimising Websites for search engines. Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:56:06 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/not-cheap-web-sites-but-value-and-style.html http://www.nquk.com/not-cheap-web-sites-but-value-and-style.html To design a stylish Web Site is not easy. Peoples tastes often differ and it can be very difficult to come up with a design that looks good to everyone. At Net Quality we take a lot of care to ensure the look of your site has universal appeal. Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:14:40 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/websites-and-todays-small-businesses-in-nottingham.html http://www.nquk.com/websites-and-todays-small-businesses-in-nottingham.html First there was the telephone. Next was the fax machine. Now we have the Internet. It is inconceivable to imagine a business without a telephone. For a few years it was inconceivable to imagine a business without a fax machine. So why is it that so many small businesses do not have a Web Site? Since the Internet exploded in the mid 1990s many businesses both small and large have benefited immensely from this opportunity to provide detailed information to the world 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:38:54 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/technical-excellence-in-nottingham-web-design.html http://www.nquk.com/technical-excellence-in-nottingham-web-design.html The world is full of extremely helpful software and web-based programs that enable almost anyone to prepare a half-decent Website. The costs involved in doing this can also be extremely cheap. So why choose a Web Design Service such as the one we offer at Net Quality? All Websites designed by Net Quality are hand coded by experts. Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:36:16 +0100 http://www.nquk.com/the-truth-about-search-engines.html http://www.nquk.com/the-truth-about-search-engines.html Understanding how to get your business to the top of the search results is important to all businesses. We have written this article to help dispel some of the myths about Search Engine Optimisation allowing you to concentrate on the effective methods of promoting your business on the Internet. Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:01:01 +0100