Affordable web design, hosting, and domain name management

"It all starts with a good design"

Design is such an important factor and can take up a lot of time and money. Over our 15 years experience in the industry we have found many clients have no idea about a design for their site unless they already have a good printed brochure. This can lead to problems as creating draft designs then adjustments can take time. Also, some brochures (colours, content and layout) don't always translate well into web sites.

To streamline the design process and keep costs down, we promote professionally designed themes created by commercial designers. While other companies might not like to admit they use third party themes, we are proud of the concepts the designers come up with and you can see a demo of the working theme before work even starts so you have a good idea how your new site will look. We can also create custom themes to suit your specific designs. It is all about you and what you need!

We're always happy to help, work within your budget and follow your creative ideas. Our goal is happy clients and productive web sites. Feel free to call and discuss your ideas.

SITE AND APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

"If you fail to plan then plan to fail"

Different businesses need different development approaches. Selling products online or eCommerce is very different to providing a service. You'll usually need a shopping cart to sell goods online and some sort of merchant account or a portfolio if you offer services. We have experience designing solutions for many industries and therefore can help you plan and advise you on the best approach and cost implications of each.

eCommerce and Shopping Carts

We can build full eCommerce and shopping cart solutions into your site to match your inventory and meet secure on-line purchasing requirements. We can provide and install secure server certificates (SSL). We don't charge expensive prices for shopping cart systems or monthly ongoing fees. You choose the budget and we believe you should own the system we create for you so even the shopping carts are fully portable so your never tied in with a fixed contract.

Web Applications and Cloud Computing

Nowadays, web site technology is becoming much more powerful and most of what could only be done on desktop computers and servers can now be done online using frameworks like asp.net and cloud computing services. Not only can we build a web site for you but with Software as a Service (SaaS) we can also create your own cloud compatible applications so you and your staff can work anywhere and anytime using desktop, notebook, tablet or mobile phone. Applications installed on web servers and accessed from web browsers solve many problems of traditional software. We have developed several online web applications for clients so can manage your project from planning to completion.

Mobile Usability

User technology is also changing and for some industries it is important for people to access websites via tablets, mobile phones and using touchscreens. We can optimise your site for use with these devices so the screen will change to fit the screen size and swipe functions are enabled. This all adds to a better user experience.

Translation and Multiple Languages

If you need your site in multiple languages then we can translate your site into Japanese or Chinese. There are auto translate functions available from Google and others but the translations don't express the nuances very well and and tend to be quite literal translations. It is much better to create a full translation from a native speaker. We also provide a booking and enquiry service where we answer emails and enquires in the native languages, then translate and forward them on in English. This service is on a commission basis. We can not only build your web site but help it grow internationally.

Multimedia and Interactivity

Bring your site to life, attract attention, allow dynamic interaction with visitors and express your business by implementing, image slideshows, video (YouTube, Vimeo, or stand alone), 360° panorama views and more. Many people want to see products in action or go on a virtual tour. The possibilities are virtually endless. These technologies were slow and expensive but now most people have access to digital cameras and video. The quality is also so much better with faster internet and streaming media.

"There is more to a web site than just a web site"

There is more that goes into web site development than just creating a site. You'll also need a domain name (www address) and somewhere to host the site. Some of our clients already have these things but most don't. It can be confusing to set up and have on going costs. We try and simplify the whole process for clients by providing all hosting and domain name services. Many of our clients don't want to manage these things themselves so just contact us when they need changes made like adding email accounts or registering new domain names. We provide this as a FREE service for most changes but there are control panels available so our clients can remain in full control if they want.

We also don't charge any money to add new domains and web sites to our clients' accounts, and grant virtually unlimited resources for typical web sites so owners don't need to worry about disk space, bandwidth or having to buy a new hosting account each time a new domain is added.

Domain Names

We can register your .nz domain name or other international domain names including Australian (.com.au). You choose how long you want the domain name registered for from one year to ten years. They are registered in your name not ours and there is a management control panel for your domains so you are always in full control. We try and keep our registration prices competitive as we make no profit on them. It is a service we provide as it is easier for clients and ourselves to manage all web services rather than through third parties.

Hosting Packages

We have been hosting web sites for nearly 15 years so know what we are doing. We choose to host over two separate geographical locations with two up stream providers in two separate state-of-the-art data centres. We host the Windows servers in one data centre and Linux servers in another. The data centres and servers are monitored and managed 24x7x365 with daily backups and redundant systems. We are notified if there is any issue and on rear occasions when some thing goes wrong it is usually fixed within minutes. We have used the same hosting provider for many years and very happy with the reliability and support. We have direct contact with the server admins but normally can resolve any non hardware issues ourselves. We can also provide dedicated or virtual server hosting and at very competitive rates. Contact us if you want a list of everything that is included in the hosting packages there is enough space for multiple web sites, databases and email accounts. We are one of the few New Zealand based companies who allow multiple domain and web site hosting on the one account. With most other companies if you have more than one web site you need to pay for separate hosting. If you have specific requirements then we can create a custom plan to suit you needs.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Marketing (SEM)

Once your site is live you need people to find it. It might take time for Google to index your site and start coming up in search engine results. Unfortunately, it is not a case of build it and then they will come' but with a little work your site can start getting noticed by the search engines and as your site becomes popular, it will rise up the search engine listings. There are about 200 factors that the search engines look for in your web site to judge how highly it should be listed under certain search words and phrases. We can install Analytics to monitor your site  and look at the factors to help boost your site performance. You could also consider the paid search engine marketing services like Google Adwords. We can help you out with these service as well while avoiding all the scams there our out there that promise so much but deliver so little. Although we can create and manage your AdWord campaigns, we think it is better to put some time into boosting your site's popularity and getting native results rather than spending money every time someone clicks your ad. It is satisfying to see our clients competitors' sites in the 'sponsored' area of search engine results and the sites we optimise in the top of the free listings.

"Your site, Your price, Your team"

We are a small company of IT professionals and we try our best to look after all our clients as individuals. Being small, we know the difficulties that face small businesses. We have a range of qualifications and skills from Degree to PhD level and not only IT qualifications but also in Project Management and extensive experience in tourism and marketing so no task is too big or too small. When you call we remember you by name and provide you with a personal service so you can get the most from your IT needs.

We are based in Christchurch and most of us work from home and are flexible with contact hours and working hours. Having gone through all the earthquakes here, we realise the importance of having instant and mobile access to web sites and applications. None of our web sites email or client backup services were effected from the Canterbury earthquakes.

Our team is made up of dedicated professionals from degree to PhD level and many years of experience, in web design, programming and IT. We offer a personal service and will come to your office or home to discuss any ideas you have. If you have special requirements please let us know and we will try and help.