It's just me! One chap who has been working in amateur theatre for over 40 years (as actor, singer, director, treasurer, committee member, etc.) and building websites as a hobby since 2006. In that time I've built quite a bit of knowledge and experience and now I want to use my expertise to build professional-looking websites for my amdram colleagues for a minimal cost. I know amdram societies need to manage their money carefully (I was an Hon. Treasurer for years) so I will make sure you can afford it. I love building websites and I believe amdram societies should have great websites. For me, it's more of an obsession than a business!

Your new site will be built using Joomla, one of the most popular website-building tools in the world. Joomla enables me to build professional-quality websites which can be easily maintained by users who have minimal technical knowledge. If you can use email or Word, you can update the website! 

That means once I have built it, you will easily be able to add information to it - such as events, news, new shows, even old shows!

If you haven't already got a website, there are a few things you need to do first. But don't worry, I will help you through all of this. It's very straightforward. 

First, you will need an account with a web hosting company (£55 - £100 per year). Whatever company and account type you choose, you will need sufficient web space to hold your site (3Gb is usually sufficient) plus PHP and at least one MySQL database. Other important things to look for in a web host are free SSL Certificates, automatic daily back-ups, firewalls and (preferably) UK-based support. Don't worry, you don't need to know what any of these are!

There are a huge number of web hosting companies and the choice can be bewildering. I may be able to offer you an account as part of my own web hosting account with Rochen Ltd. This depends on how many available accounts I have at the time. 

Your web host may also offer a free domain name, otherwise you will need to buy your domain name (about £10 - £25 per year). You can usually purchase your domain name from your web hosts, but they are also offered by other companies. There is no problem with having your domain name and web hosting with different companies. 

Once these are set up, I can start building your new website.

If you already have a website, then this will remain in place while I build the new one. I will need access to your web hosting account, either directly or via the person who controls the account. 

You will also need to decide who will have the responsibility for managing the website once it is live, and who will have access to create and update content. Any number of people can have access to different parts of the website, if you wish. (Or see "Who will keep the website up to date?" below)

I will work closely with you from the start, agreeing what the site will look like and what it needs to include. I will keep in touch with you throughout the design and build process to ensure you are happy with what is being built. If you don't have a website, I will build it from scratch. If you do, I will work with your existing provider wherever possible, to ensure a smooth transfer.

You can expect about a third of your visitors to use their PC to view your website - the rest will use their mobile phone or tablet. This is why all my websites are responsive - they change the display to fit the size of the screen. No more squinting at a tiny version of your website on a mobile phone. Try looking at this site on your phone or tablet!

Your existing site will be left in place until the new site is ready to go live. Wherever possible, I will work with your existing website provider to ensure a smooth transfer. Often, websites have been built by a society member who may be very interested in learning about Joomla (the tool I will use for building your website). Such a person will be an ideal candidate for managing the website once it is live. The new site will be built separately from the existing site and moved over to your website address on the live date.

For all websites, there are some modest annual costs related to having a website: £55 - £100 per year for the web hosting account and £10 - £25 per year for your domain name (if it's not included in your web hosting package).

The cost for AmDram Web Design to build the site will depend on how much work is involved, which is really how much content and how many features you need. For a typical amdram society site, you can expect the cost to be between £400 and £500 depending on the amount of work needed. And you can rest assured that I will work with you to ensure you get the website you want for a really affordable price.

Don't forget that this is a one-off, one-time charge; I won't charge you any maintenance costs as, once the website is built and live, it will be handed over to you (together with a comprehensive set of user guides) and you will be able to manage it easily yourselves. There won't be any further costs unless, of course, you want something else adding later. (Or see "Who will keep the website up to date?" below)

If I am simply copying all your existing pages and content onto a newly-designed site, it should take about 2-3 weeks to build. However, most clients will take the opportunity to consider how their website content and structure can be improved and modernised. Such discussions can extend the build time significantly, so it's best to try to agree a live date at the beginning of discussions and make any small changes after the new site is live. 

Once the website is finished to your satisfaction we will agree a live date and I will work with the web hosting company to make the site live. It can take up to 24 hours for sites to be made live, especially if there is a transfer between web hosting companies. Once it is live, I will hand it over to the society for you to maintain it. Included in the price will be a comprehensive set of user guides on how to create and update content, how to add more users, and how to maintain the site regularly. Don't worry, it's all very easy. If you can use a web browser and a text editor (such as Microsoft Word), you will be able to access and update your website. (Or see "Who will keep the website up to date?" below)

Usually, that's down to you. The websites I build are easy to update; if you can use a web browser and Microsoft Word or email, you will be able to update the website. And it's very important to keep it up to date. Not only with content, to keep your visitors and members informed, but to ensure it is kept secure with technical updates too. 

But you're all busy people and it's not always easy to find someone to do these jobs. So if you haven't got anyone to manage the website, I can do it for you for a modest monthly charge of £30-£40 (depending on the frequency of updates you need). I'll keep the site up to date with technical changes and with any new information you send to me. 

Yes, of course. There are lots of companies who will provide you with the tools to build a website (some even include free web hosting). But you will be tied to choosing from a selection of fixed styles and may not have the choice of features you want. You will also need to invest considerable time in planning your site and learning how to use the tools. You may also end up paying annual maintenance charges or have advertisements on your site (these companies have to make money somehow).

AmDram Web Design will provide all the expertise, advice, features and styling you want and will do all the work for you - at a very affordable price.