I am a web designer who creates clean, minimal, image focused, bespoke WordPress websites for sole traders and small businesses.
Specialising in websites for artists, writers, arts organisations and other clients with great images as the main focus of their website, I install WordPress and an agreed theme, then design a site that is right for your business and your digital skills.
I often work in partnership with Colin Usher, my husband. Our combined digital and design experience, plus ability to listen and advise, ensures our clients get the website they desire!
Scroll down to see a few examples and read some testimonials,
… or click here to read some Frequently Asked Questions.
A FEW OF MY WEBSITES – Click for an overview
(LOADS MORE PLUS LINKS IN MY NEWS SECTION)
WHAT A FEW OF MY CLIENTS HAVE SAID ABOUT WORKING WITH ME AS THEIR WEB DESIGNER
Julia just ‘got it’ as soon as I gave her a stylesheet ‘mood board’ for my site. She knew instinctively what I wanted that the end result feels like I designed it! She lives in another country and it felt like she was next door. She has been a joy to collaborate with on this. The site is brilliant and does what I wanted it to. Thank you Julia!
ROBBIE BUSHEJulia was very good at asking the right questions, listening to what I asked for and making excellent suggestions. She checked things out with me at every stage, responded quickly to my queries and met every deadline. I am very happy with my new website and cannot praise her highly enough.
SARAH WYATT… [Julia] came across as being very clear headed, practical and professional – and good fun too… Julia from a magic far-away place managed to nurture my techno spirit into action…it was at times for me quite challenging… Slowly but surely through email, with clear direction, realistic deadlines and an abundance of patience Julia has designed and delivered a new lovely spanking clean and dandy website… Read the full testimonial
CATHARINE DAVISONYour experience, expertise and artistic eye was such a help! Even though you are based in Scotland and I in Canada, I was amazed at how convenient and simple it was to work on this project together even though we are time zones apart. Brilliant job – THANK YOU!
ANGELA HAHNJulia was great to work with putting you at ease right from the start. Her valuable knowledge and suggested ideas gave me a better understanding of what could be achieved … I can’t praise enough but what I found the most brilliant was through listening and intuition Julia captured the feel and look that I had been searching for. I came across Julia’s name on a search for a web designer. What a find that was! Read the full testimonial
SUSAN BRYSON… We met using FaceTime to discuss the website … At all stages of the process I was asked to view and comment on progress. Any changes I suggested were discussed and where suitable were happily incorporated. Queries were promptly addressed.
Throughout, Julia was marvellous to deal with and everything went very smoothly. I am extremely happy with the final result and have no hesitation at all in recommending Julia to anyone considering a website. Read the full testimonial
I needed to create a new look and feel to my website, one which would reflect my evolving creative practice as an artist and researcher; I wanted a clean, reflective appearance as the images themselves are complex. Julia worked with my ideas and together we have come up with what I think is a great website. I’m delighted. The feedback I’m getting from friends and colleagues echoes this. Very pleased and very grateful. Thanks Julia!
ALISON F BELLWorking with Julia was a very positive experience. She immediately understood the look and feel of what I was hoping to achieve and the final product was just what I had been hoping for – in fact better. We worked via Skype – a first for me – and it was a good and totally painless process which made me really focus. I am very happy with what Julia has done for me and highly recommend her thoughtful and professional approach.
CAROLINE BOYLEWorking with Julia has been such a pleasure. Julia is professional and very knowledgeable but so approachable and friendly. I felt the creation of my website was in expert hands at all times and at the same time my own vision and opinions were what really mattered. My website was finished within the timescale we set out and with weekly skyping, emails and messaging everything went smoothly without any hitches. The finished website looks great I am so impressed with how quickly this all came together.
AMANDA ADAMJulia did far more than design an interesting and dynamic website. Her design flair and insight helped me rethink how I present my work. The whole process was calm and thoughtful, allowing for ideas to emerge. Julia also gave me lots of good advice about my online profile and I am now well equipped to look after my website (with a little help if I need it). Thank you Julia.
SUSAN ELSLEYARE YOU INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE?
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:
HOW DO WE GET STARTED?
Because I divide my time between being in South West France (just south of Agen) and being in the central belt of Scotland (around Edinburgh mostly) the easiest and quickest way to get started is for us to organise a Skype chat to discuss your aims and ambitions for the website and to agree on some key dates.
If you do not have a website yet, you will need to get a Host and Domain name for the site. I can advise on this if you like.
Once this is in place, I will install a database at your host and WordPress on your website. I always use WordPress for my websites.
WordPress is free, incredibly popular (used by millions of people) and also really easy to learn how to update, so you will be able to manage your future website updates independently, after a little *training from me of course! More about WordPress.
I will then install an agreed Theme and design and build your bespoke website based on your own desires for the look, feel, and functionality.
*After the launch of your shiny new website, I will make you some training videos and ‘How To’ help sheets, specific to your own site, so that you can manage future updates yourself.
Ta daaaa!
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
The development of your new website will be a collaboration, and therefore we will need to discuss and agree on a timeline for the site with key dates that suit all of us. You will need to decide what it is you want the website to do, provide me with the content (the words and pictures) and give me some ideas about what style you like and dislike by showing me a few examples of other sites. For some people this can take a bit of time, as the creation of a new website offers up the opportunity to examine your business in detail and decide how best to present yourself and your work to the world.
We will agree on a start date as well as an end date during our first chat.
If you have an important deadline for the website, this should be discussed during our first meeting to ensure I am aware of this and able to meet that deadline.
Once I have all of your bits and bobs and know what it is you would like the site to achieve, I can then crack on with the design and build. Even though I am extremely particular (I mean really, really picky about the teeniest of details and probably spend far longer on my websites than I have charged for but I just can’t help myself!), I can usually complete this within a couple of months.
Please be online during this period to feedback on work in progress. I really want you to be happy with the result!
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
As I’m sure you can imagine, prices are on a sliding scale dependent on what you want the site to do.
My prices begin at £680 for *artists and designers.
My prices begin at £1,000 for arts organisations and small businesses.
*I choose to give a whopping great discount to artists, designers and other clients with great images as the main focus of their website simply because these are my favourite types of website to work on!
Payments should be made in two instalments, the first before we start working on the site and the second after launch.
These prices include all that I have mentioned above, from setting up hosting through to providing training videos and help sheets.
These prices do not include the cost of hosting your website as this isn’t something that I do (though I can recommend a good host). This will cost you around £60 a year ongoing (you can pay most hosts monthly).
These prices may not include your theme. Themes can cost about £40 for a decent one, but I do have an account with one company, so if you’re happy with one of their themes then I don’t mind absorbing this in my fee.
Additional add-ons may increase the price. These include things like logo design, mailing list plugin with stylised mailing list template, eCommerce, setting up branded sociables (Facebook, Twitter etc.), event calendar plugin… the list goes on. If your site needs some additional functions we can discuss these and I can let you know the additional cost before I write up an agreement.
WHAT ABOUT SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION?
I am often asked about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and whether I can help get my clients website to number 1. in a Google search.
I am a web designer, not an SEO specialist, but here’s my answer…
THIS SOUNDS IDEAL…
WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?
If I sound like the web designer you are looking for, then let’s sit together and start to chat through your vision for your website.
Send me a message using the form on the contact page by clicking GET IN TOUCH below, or send me an email to julia at juliadouglas dot co dot uk (I’ve written it like that so I don’t get spam from bots, but you know what I mean!). From there we can arrange a Skype call.
I look forward to hearing from you!