So you want to… set up your own website?
What sort of website do I need?
It depends what you want. Farm websites can be divided into two categories:
The brochureware site
This will display the goods and services you offer or convey information about your farm. They are particularly useful for promoting diversification enterprises, like visitor centres, farm shops and adventure trails. Their main aim is to generate e-mail or telephone enquiries. Prices for a professionally-built brochureware site with up to five pages start at about £500.
The E-commerce site
This allows people to buy goods or services direct from your site. It can even print out invoices and dispatch notes.
Three main options are available:
Use e-Bay
e-Bay has millions of users worldwide and brings together buyers and sellers of all sorts of different items, new and secondhand. An e-Bay shop allows you to showcase your merchandise in one central location. Buyers can also learn more about you, your products, and your policies.
Shop sellers must be registered. You must also have sold items privately on e-Bay previously and received good feedback. Other requirements include having a direct debit set up for fee payment, and a PayPal (www.paypal.co.uk) account to allow shoppers to pay securely on-line.
e-Bay sellers have three choices for opening their own shop: The £6/month Basic Shop (for sellers who are just starting out and want an affordable and easy-to-use platform) the £30/month Featured Shop (more comprehensive, for small-to-medium sized sellers) and the £300/month Anchor (for higher-volume sellers who want maximum exposure).
Build your own
You can build your own e-commerce site using a specialised website-building product. Prices range from £99-£800 and Actinic (www.actinic.co.uk) and EROL (www.erolonline.co.uk) are two examples that offer a quick, easy-to-use way of doing it.
However because they are based on templates, they may not always provide enough flexibility, says Mr Crisp, or may fail to attract the right audience.
“The most common problem is that DIY sites do not generate enough visitors,” he says. “You will need to familiarise yourself with the basic principles of search engine optimisation or employ a specialist. Otherwise, it will be like opening up a shop in the middle of nowhere – no matter how fabulous it looks, you are very unlikely to attract sufficient customers.”
Work with a professional website design company.
An e-commerce site will cost between £3000 and £8000. The designer does not necessarily have to be geographically close to you, as information can be exchanged by e-mail and telephone.
Search engine optimisation – what on earth’s that?
Basically it’s getting Google or other search engines to list your website on its front page rather than your rivals’ sites when someone types in, say, farm shops. You need to know about it at the outset as it will influence your website name and the words that will appear in the text.
“SEO is a big subject, and technology is moving fast,” says Mr Crisp. “Any good web designer will create the site with SEO in mind. Around 85% of people looking for something on the internet will use a search engine – Google is the most popular. So your site must be easy to find.
“However, you need to be realistic. It is better to aim to appear on the first page of the search engine for farmhouse bed and breakfast in Truro, than to try and be first simply for bed and breakfast. You will reach a more targeted audience, who will be more likely to want your product or service.”
How do I choose my domain name?
A domain name is the website address that will appear on your stationery and other promotional literature, so viewers can find your site.
Domain names can be registered for as little as £5. They will need to be renewed every couple of years, so ask about renewal frequency and cost at the outset.
If you are only trying to attract people within the UK, the .co.uk ending is by far the best option for your website address, advises Mr Crisp. For global market appeal .com may be better. As long as you get your SEO right, you don’t need to limit yourself to incorporating the name of your company.
“You will probably find that your ideal domain name has already been taken, so you will have to be inventive. For example, if you sell honey in Weardale, under the brand name Buzzy Bees, then www.weardalehoney.co.uk would be a useful website address.”
I’ve heard the term website hosting. What’s that?
To allow people to view your website, you will need to find a website host. This means renting a small space on a large webserver computer.
A basic brochureware rental costs about £100-£300/year, while e-commerce site charges start at £250/year. Your existing internet service provider may offer this, either free or for a small fee. More complex websites will require database support and professional help.
How long will it take?
| PODCASTS |
| A podcast is a sound-only or video clip broadcast published on a website. Both can help attract visitors – especially if they are informative and regular. You can invite people to subscribe to your podcast, and download it to their computer automatically on a regular basis.Listen to an example podcast |
A brochureware site should take about a month to put together. However an e-commerce site may take three months or more. Agree timescales and deadlines with your designer at the outset.
Do I need broadband?
You can run a site on dial-up, but it’s not really adequate for business purposes. If you can’t get broadband via your BT line, you could buy satellite or wireless broadband. It is more expensive, though.
Are there any legal requirements?
Contact your local business support agency to make sure you are complying with the law. Bear in mind the following:
- Data Protection Act – you should register with the Information Commissioner if you store other people’s information on your computer. It is relatively straightforward and costs £35 to register. You will also need a privacy policy, and ask people to opt in to any mailing list you may set up. It is illegal to send consumers unsolicited e-mail (spam).
- The Companies Act – If you are a limited company, or limited liability partnership, you must display your company name, registered office, registration number and place of registration on your website.
- Distance selling regulations – These apply if you are selling goods and services on-line. They require you to explain refunds, returns, complaints etc.
What about updating my site?
There are several methods of managing site content following the initial launch. Some companies charge an hourly rate, which can range from £20-£75/hour. Others ask for a fixed monthly maintenance charge to handle changes. The conditions of your maintenance contract should be set out in writing.
“Always get an understanding of how long changes should take,” warns Mr Crisp. “Critical changes, such as prices, should be able to be made within 24 hours.”
Some website owners prefer to choose a Content Management System, or CMS. This is a series of easy-to-use steps, allowing the owner to upload new text and photographs. CMS can be custom-made, or bought off the shelf, depending on the complexity of the site.
Do I need to have an online payment facility?
Yes, online buyers are impulsive and impatient and expect to be able to buy straight off your site. Amazingly, 90% of UK small and medium-sized enterprises with a website still do not have an on-line payment facility.
Who offers that facility and what does it cost?
One of the most commonly used systems is PayPal, though there are others like netbanx and worldpay. The service is free to buyers, and allows the seller to accept secure credit or debit card payments through their website.
There is no set-up fee, but the arrangement may require a commitment of six months or more. PayPal charges range from 3.4% + 20p per transaction for monthly sales up to £1500 to 1.4% + 20p per transaction for monthly sales above £55,000.
| FORUMS AND BLOGS |
| Isabel Davies, who writes for the Farmers Weekly website www.fwi.co.uk explains the function and benefits of forums and blogs: “People like to share their opinions, even if all they have to tell you is what they thought of last night’s TV. This is why the most interesting websites involve viewer participation forums. “The BBC’s website is a good example of this. Its primary function is, of course, to deliver the latest news and views from around the world. But click on the ‘Have your say’ button and a whole new world opens up – an area dedicated to comments from ordinary people. Farmers Weekly Interactive has a similar facility, which in our case is called the forums (fwi.co.uk/talkingpoint). It’s a section of the site where farmers can ask questions, chat or just read what other people have already written. A close relative of the forum is the blog (short for web log). This is an on-line diary in which a writer shares information or opinions and invites other people to respond. It’s a good way to drive potential customers to a website because people grow to know the blogger, so keep coming back to read their latest postings.” |
Case study
Heather Gorringe
Blakemere, Herefordshire
It would be hard to find anyone more convinced about the marketing benefits of a good website than Heather Gorringe. Her www.wigglywigglers.co.uk site generates about 40% of the income from her worm composting equipment, bird food and plants and flowers business, as well as providing 70% of sales leads.
Mrs Gorringe, who runs the business alongside her husband, Phil, on their beef and arable farm, is an experienced website manager, having launched her initial site for £1000 in 1996. The latest e-commerce version is much more sophisticated, but with business turnover at £2.5m and around 45,000 hits/day, she feels it is a very worthwhile investment. This cost £2500 to set up, with professional designer updates costing £300/month and server and hosting fees £600/year.
“Most people find us by searching on Google,” explains Mrs Gorringe. “We raise our search engine ranking in several different ways, but the most important is through the blog, which costs nothing but our time to manage.
“Another good way is to create links to other websites featuring products relating to our own. You might think it would create unwanted competition, but actually it helps to raise the profile of your own site. People can easily find other products anyway, but it increases your appeal if you can offer more choice.”
| USEFUL CONTACTS |
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