Weblog

For those of you that know me and Cavespider you'll be aware that I have a bit of a thing about off the shelf themes and templates. All the websites I create are bespoke, I create the templates for all my new websites.

I do, occasionally, take on the management of a website that was created using a ready made theme. Often from the likes of Yootheme or theme forest, there are many of them. To give them credit these templates take serious man hours to design and create. They have to be robust, flexible and hopefully reasonably easy to use. The results can look quite good and they do provide a solution though they may not save you as much as you might expect, unless you're creating the website yourself.

I have been creating websites since long before there were such things as themes, though I wasn't at the stage of tying dinosaur bones together. So creating a website from scratch is not new to me, it's the norm. I have tried using a ready made template and I found it really frustrating. I know how I want something to look and work so trying to make something pre designed do that is harder than just building it from scratch in the first place.

There is another big positive, as far as I'm concerned, are my templates will last and have lasted the years of technologic progress. Whereas I constantly have problems with the off the shelf variety because they won't work with the latest versions of the various support software the many of the hosting companies are implementing. On occasion, too many, I have gone back to the Theme producer to find the particular theme involved is no longer supported. It's not a good look to be telling a client their website is 'end of life'.

So, if you don't mind, I'll stick to creating bespoke websites. Then I don't need to ever tell a client their website has come to an end.

Cavespider, unchained

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 17 June 2020

The Coronavirus has made a lot of people isolated and the reasons are many, including working from home, lockdowns, self isolating and so on. Guess what? They are going to be relying to a much greater degree to finding what they need online.

So consider, what's your online presence looking like. This is the time to make sure it's right up to spec and getting your future clients picking up that phone and getting you involved.

The Covid 19 crisis really can be an opportunity as more and more are forced online you need to be there.

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 18 March 2020

Christmas is almost upon us, again, and most people are planning on a few days of relaxing and getting away from the day to day stress of running a business. Brilliant isn't it?

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 21 December 2017

Read more: Are you a designer?

Consider, if you were an artist would you pop down to the stationers to get the latest colouring book for your next masterpiece?

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 15 November 2017

When someone asks 'What do you want for your birthday?', do you always know? When you know you need a website, do you know what it's going to say?

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 20 February 2018

You may have spent a fortune developing your company brand. You have gone to some trouble to ensure your communications are correctly branded to form that continuity.

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 06 November 2017

I assume when your computer software needs updating your probably excited to discover what new features might have been included. On some systems you don't get the choice.

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 12 February 2018

There are definitely advantages to have everything on one easy to access single page. But what are the implications of using this style of presentation?

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 25 October 2017

If you use a lawyer, the garage, even an accountant you generally don't discover the cost until you see the bill. Wouldn't be nice to know the cost before you hire?

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 30 January 2018

The question is more likley, 'is my website out of date?'. If it's more than six months old maybe. But that is no reason to worry, really.

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 17 October 2017

I would be surprised if as the owner of a domain you hadn't received a few of these. Emails purporting that your domain renewal is overdue.

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 22 January 2018

There are loads of cool website builders out there. You can sign up and you could have a fully functioning website by the end of the day. So why would I want to hire a website designer to do it for me?

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 09 October 2017

There was a time you could add a contact form to your website, people would use it to respond and you would contact them back, easy! Things are changing...

Details: Written by Crispin Jones; Created: 16 January 2018

Theme woes

Cavespider, unchained

Coronavirus - your online presence

Do websites get holidays?

Do what I do...

GDPR, or the General Data Protection Regulation

Watch out for the 'Sign up with Facebook' button

Is the price right?

Are you a designer?

Do artists enjoy colouring books?

Do you know what you want to say?

Does your website follow your brand guidelines?

Updates, updates, updates... boring

Should I have a single page website?

Knowing the cost before you start

Does my website look big in this?

Be afraid, be very afraid, they are trying to steal your domain name.

Why use us when you could do it yourself?

The rules are changing

Google wants everybody secure

Do you really need a new website?

"What am I going to say?"