Small Business Risks

Why Cheap Web Designers Often Disappear

by | Sep 1, 2024 | , ,

Cheap web designer disappearing

Cheap web designer disappearing

Everyone loves cheap web design — until they learn that it takes far more than low prices and fancy graphics to build a business website that works. That can be a hard lesson about cheap web design risks, but it often gets worse. Because cheap web designers often disappear.

This can be a touchy subject though, so let’s be clear: most experienced web designers I know are talented people who only want to help. That said, experienced web designers are rarely cheap web designers.

Still, I have just spoken to yet another distressed small business owner. His cheap web designer had left him in the lurch with a broken website and no access to fix it.

Other business owners had told him this was “typical” of “flaky” designers.… Read the rest “Why Cheap Web Designers Often Disappear”

Small Business Web Design – Common Mistakes

by | May 8, 2024 | ,

Effective small business web design means business

Effective small business web design means business

Effective small business web design is now critical to almost every small business. In fact, until you have your own business website, most potential customers won’t see you as a credible business at all.

Why is that? What makes a business website so special?

Small Business Web Design Matters

Your website is a key marketing vehicle for your business. It isn’t just a shop window. It’s an international travelling sales team, with the ability to sell 24/7/365 to customers in their own homes in the moments when they are most interested in buying.

Think about what it would cost to achieve that coverage with a team of salespeople. That’s the value a website provides.… Read the rest “Small Business Web Design – Common Mistakes”

Is Your Small Business A Zombie?

by | Oct 28, 2023 |

Is your small business a zombie business?

Is your small business a zombie business?

Zombie businesses are out there, and whilst they aren’t exactly coming to eat your brains, it takes brains to avoid sharing their fate. Your small business may even already be a zombie business — or slowly becoming one, without you even knowing it!

If that doesn’t sound healthy, that’s because it isn’t.

What Is A Zombie Business?

A zombie company is a business entity that barely manages to stay operational. It may earn just enough to keep running or may rely heavily on lenders to stay afloat, but isn’t earning enough to pay for its own growth, or to reduce its debts. That often puts it just one unlucky event away from collapse — making it a high-risk proposition for investors.… Read the rest “Is Your Small Business A Zombie?”

How To Avoid The Cheap Web Design Trap

by | Jan 30, 2023 | ,

Cheap web design problems

A lot can go wrong with cheap web design – and often does!

Small business owners often think cheap web design will be enough to promote their business online. That’s understandable, but there’s a catch.

Underinvesting in your website will cost you far more in the long run. It can even cost your entire business.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve helped many small firms recover from this mistake. So I’d rather help you avoid it.

Still, that does not mean every website needs a five- or six-figure budget. After all, my budget web design and affordable web design packages cost far less than that. What it does mean is that simply seeking the cheapest web design you can find is likely to cripple your business.… Read the rest “How To Avoid The Cheap Web Design Trap”

How Procrastination Kills Projects

by | Jul 5, 2022 | ,

Procrastination kills projects. Life goes faster than you think.

Life goes faster than you think.

I was going to write about how procrastination kills projects seven months ago. That article wasn’t going to be so personal.

Then life got in the way. As it always will, if you let it. So what happened?

Out of the blue, my partner of over 25 years got a diagnosis so terrifying that we had an emergency wedding. “Emergency” as in, we woke up that morning not knowing we’d be married by teatime.

Eternal thanks to the Newport Registry Office, the Royal Gwent Hospital, and the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff for facilitating that. Even more so to the medics for making her condition more manageable for now.

Yeah, writing a blog post pales into insignificance in the face of that, doesn’t it?… Read the rest “How Procrastination Kills Projects”

Automatic WordPress Updates – The Pitfalls

by | Oct 27, 2020 | , , , , ,

WordPress updates and website maintenanceHere’s a great example of why automating updates in WordPress is only smart for non-business websites. As I write this, one of the WP plugins published by Facebook just released an update with invalid code.

Not just a bug — code so wrong that it crashes sites. Code that wouldn’t have passed basic testing.

I’m sure “Facebook for WooCommerce” will be fixed promptly. However, over 900,000 online shops use it. If they were all running automatic updates, almost a million shops would be offline right now.

Other WordPress Update Problems

This comes on top of the GADWP fiasco earlier this year, too. In that, ExactMetrics changed the nature of their popular plugin without warning, through an “update”.

Version 6 of the “Google Analytics Dashboard for WP” plugin was “redesigned from the ground up”.… Read the rest “Automatic WordPress Updates – The Pitfalls”

Need Help?

Since 2005, I’ve helped small firms grow online through cost-effective:

5.0 from 32 reviews
Ratings and reviews
  • 5.0 from 32 reviews
  • 12-08-2024

    Dr Prashant Murugkar

    Pete is an amazing human and the ultimate expert. He does not sell for selling sake and gives honest advice all through. He has taken my website from strength to strength till it comes up high on the organic listings. I whole heartedly recommend Netcentrics for anyone wanting website related advice, thanks Pete :-) best wishes Dr Prashant Murugkar

  • 08-03-2024

    Alison Rider-Hill

    Pete has been patience personified, helping me to navigate a website I inherited for an event I am responsible for. But for him I would probably have broken the back end repeatedly.

  • 14-12-2023

    Ivan Caric

    Pete has been incredibly helpful and supportive, above and beyond what was required. We're a tiny business, and from helping with the initial web design to SEO advice and inevitable tweaks and changes as the business develops, Pete has been patient and full of sage advice. We cannot recommend him more highly!

  • 24-05-2023

    Dave M.

    Thanks, Pete! Since you updated my site, business has gone crazy – I now have more work than I know what to do with!

  • 04-04-2023

    Mark R

    I use Netcentrics for all my business needs. Always a professional, super-prompt and to date flawless service. Excellent.

  • 02-03-2023

    Ceri E

    A fantastic service! We are a small business just starting out with a new venture. Pete at Netcentrics has gone above and beyond to provide us with not only a fantastic website, but also invaluable business and marketing advice. The whole process has been incredibly positive and beyond what we expected compared to previous experiences. He is incredibly knowledgeable and supportive. His support did not stop at the end of the website build, he has continued to make himself available ensuring that we know how to maximise use of the website for our start up. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Pete to anyone.

  • 18-11-2022

    Janet L

    Thanks, Pete — your advice is like gold dust!

  • 21-08-2022

    Barbara H

    Oh my goodness, thank you so much! In over 20 years of online retailing this is the best and most comprehensive bit of help I've ever had relating to the dreaded SEO. I really appreciate it - many thanks again

  • 07-11-2021

    Sam G.

    You’re amazing — highly recommended!

  • 16-06-2021

    Abid Hussain

    Amazing service. Professional and outstanding company to deal with. Pete has great understanding with online requirements and core issue's. Spent hours on the telephone explaining and working on the website to bring it up-to-date. Noting but gratitude and respect to Netcentric. Highly recommend to any one through my experience they have gone above and beyond.

  • 15-05-2021

    SakineO-1

    Pete is the most professional and knowledgeable web developer I have experienced since 2016 as I have had many since. You won’t regret. I highly recommend him.

  • 15-05-2021

    Songul Yucel

    Pete is a professional and very helpful. I needed an online booking system for my driving school. He completed the job as promised. He is very easy to work with. I can t be any happier. I will in touch again if I need help in the future. Thank you Pete!! It has been pleasure working with you !

  • 05-10-2020

    Paul Mercer

  • 26-08-2020

    Susan Baynham-Evans

    Peter expertise is exactly what I needed . When I have ideas Pete makes them work. I could not run my website without him

  • 09-07-2020

    Emma Cunliffe

    Can't recommend him highly enough. He was extremely professional, laid out exactly what we needed to do and his role within that, setting expectations all round very clearly, and working within our budgetary constraints to set clear boundaries. He was extremely prompt and punctual in his responses and work. He was also extremely patient with his recommendations and explanations, which were clear and simple to follow. Excellent value for us as a charity. We're very grateful to him - he was a real pleasure to work with.

  • 05-06-2020

    Graham Smith

    knowledgeable and professional service designing and building a website for a local SME business.

  • 05-06-2020

    Keary Birch

    Very helpful staff who really understood the problem and dealt with it.

  • 05-06-2020

    Ali van Dam

    First rate! Knowledgeable, professional and creative. I would absolutely use Netcentrics again for future projects.

  • 05-06-2020

    Barbara Harris

    Amazing, professional service and speedy communications. Very impressed and highly recommended.

  • 05-06-2020

    JWComp Sol

    Netcentrics designed, implemented and have maintained our company website for many years.If you want a secure and reliable website I strongly recommend Netcentrics.

  • 21-12-2019

    Alison van Dam

    I can’t say enough good things about Netcentrics.co.uk - thorough, knowledgeable, dedicated and innovative. Highly recommended.

  • 05-12-2019

    Helen Rich

    Very pleased with my new e-commerce site from Netcentrics. Very professional, knowledgeable, and highly recommended.

  • 05-06-2019

    Mark Davies

    I have been using Netcentrics' SEO service and they have impressively managed to get over 250 of my keywords onto the first page of the search results. A very friendly and thoroughly professional service. Highly recommended.

  • 05-06-2018

    andrew cocchiara

    Many thank's Pete for all your advice and expertise over the years. A first class professional service and excellent value for money.

  • 15-03-2018

    Tim D

    Just saw that my site is now in 2nd place on the first page of Google. I’m not sure what you have done, nor do I understand it, but it worked! Many thanks!

  • 24-02-2018

    Paul G

    It is a pleasure dealing with a professional with a high degree of technical skill allied to a ‘can do’ positive attitude. Your ability to explain technical concepts in layman’s language is also a great advantage. I would have no hesitation in recommending your services.

  • 03-01-2018

    Lisa

    Excellent and professional work from beginning to end. Pete was open to ideas and able to make suggestions on how to develop my site.

  • 05-06-2017

    Ian A

    Fast, friendly, efficient service that exceeded the spec and made a complicated job hassle free for me. Five stars, would highly recommend and would happily employ again for all things web and internet based.

  • 05-06-2017

    Mo Rich

    A flourishing web designer, who is thorough and meticulous in everything he does. Will create a great looking unique and professional website particular to your needs.

  • 14-09-2016

    Ian A

    Pete is one of the most creative, reliable, competent and ingenious people it has ever been my very great pleasure to work with. There is no problem he can’t find an ingenious and unexpected way out of, and he has a work ethic you could bend horseshoes around. I cannot recommend him highly enough for his breadth and depth of knowledge and his total commitment to whichever project he is currently undertaking.

  • 31-05-2015

    Jayne H

    DogLost is the UK’s largest community of pet owners and rescuers. Other developers have struggled to meet our needs, but since Peter rebuilt our site and support systems we have gone from strength to strength, winning major awards including the 2013 Innovation Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. We couldn’t have done that without him.

  • 19-11-2013

    Codyspetdeli

    Cody's Pet Deli is an online business that sells pet food & accessories. Approaching Pete to set up a new website was the best move I have made. We wanted a system that was easy to navigate and look good when customers shop online.Pete made the whole process simple and dealing with him was a great pleasure. He can't do enough to help and solve any problem that may arise. I would highly recommend Pete for his experience and knowledge and total dedication to see the project through to final conclusion.Steve H.