Questions
Questions & answers
Short, plain answers to common questions about branding, websites, hosting, social media and working with me.
Branding
What is a brand?
Your brand is how people recognise and remember your business: your name, logo, colours, the way you write and the way you treat customers. It isn’t only a logo. For a small business, the aim is simply to look and sound the same everywhere people come across you.
What does a small UK business actually need?
A clear name, a simple logo that still works when it’s small or in black and white, two or three colours and one or two fonts. Use them the same way on your sign, website, social media, van, invoices and Google Business Profile. Before you settle on a name, check that no one nearby is trading under the same name, and that the web address and social media names are free.
If you’d like a hand with this, get in touch.
Websites
Do I need a website if I’m already on social media?
Social media is useful, but you don’t own those accounts and the platforms can change their rules at any time. A simple website is a place you control, where people can see what you do, where you are and how to reach you. It also helps people find you when they search on Google.
What should a small business website include?
What you do, the area you cover, how to contact you, and real photos and reviews. Make sure it’s easy to use on a phone, because many visitors will be on one. If the site collects personal details, for example through a contact form, UK data protection law (UK GDPR) means you should have a privacy notice, and non-essential cookies, such as analytics, need visitors’ consent.
What does a website cost to run?
It depends on a few things: renewing your domain (usually every year), hosting, email on your domain, any paid tools such as bookings or an online shop, and keeping the site updated. Costs vary a lot depending on these choices. Before you start, ask for a clear list of what you’ll pay each year, so there are no surprises.
If you’d like a hand with this, get in touch.
Hosting and domains
What is a domain?
Your domain is your address on the internet, such as yourbusiness.co.uk. You register it through a company called a registrar, usually for a year or more at a time, and renew it to keep it. Make sure it’s registered in your own or your business’s name, and that you have the login.
What is hosting, and how is it different from a domain?
Hosting is the space on a server where your website’s files are kept, so people can see them online. If the domain is your address, hosting is the building at that address. They can be with the same company or with different ones.
Should I have email on my own domain?
An address like [email protected] looks more professional than a free email address, and it stays yours if you change provider. It’s usually set up through your hosting or a separate email service. Your domain needs the right settings so your messages arrive and don’t end up in spam.
What is SSL, and do I need it?
SSL is what puts the padlock and “https” in the browser’s address bar. It protects the connection between your website and your visitors, and browsers warn people about sites without it. Every website should have it, and many hosting companies include it at no extra cost.
If you’d like a hand with this, get in touch.
Social media
Which social media platforms should I use?
Go where your customers already are. Facebook and Instagram suit many local businesses, LinkedIn helps if you sell to other businesses, and TikTok can work if you’re comfortable with short videos. It’s better to do one or two well than five badly.
How often should I post?
Often enough that your page looks alive, at a pace you can keep up. For many small businesses, once or a few times a week is plenty. Real photos of your work, your team and your premises usually feel more genuine than stock images.
What is a Google Business Profile, and do I need one?
It’s a free listing that can show your business on Google Search and Maps, with your opening hours, phone number, photos and reviews. For a local business it’s often one of the first things customers see. Keep it up to date and reply politely to reviews, good or bad.
If you’d like a hand with this, get in touch.
Working with George
Who do you help?
Mostly small local businesses and individuals in London and elsewhere in the UK, with websites, social media, branding and digital marketing. I’ve worked as a digital media consultant in London since 2000.
How does it work, and how do I get in touch?
First we have a chat about what you need. Then I suggest what would help and what it would involve, and give you a quote. I do the work as agreed, and you receive it ready to use. To start, use the contact form or email [email protected].
Can you help me in Albanian?
Yes. I speak Albanian, so if you’d find it easier to talk things through in Albanian, just say so when you get in touch.
If you’d like a hand with this, get in touch.