FAQ
Frequently asked questions and answers
Websites
First of all, we need to get to know your project and your business better and get a general idea of your needs through a briefing. The more details we have about your project – goals, features, style, colours, websites you like, and so on – the easier it is to put together a quote.
We can only start a project once we have the content needed to carry it out. This avoids missing the project's delivery deadlines. However, for a layout presentation, we can start work with:
1- Company name, description and logo;
2- General idea of the website;
3- Navigation structure and pages to create;
4- Images and Text
A responsive website or layout automatically adapts to the user's device (desktop, smartphone, tablet, etc.).
A responsive website changes its appearance and content layout based on the size of the screen it's displayed on. If the user is on a small screen, elements rearrange themselves to show the most important things first.
On smartphones, navigation and user experience become difficult and limited, with users having to zoom in and out to read the whole page. Other details such as buttons and menus lose their formatting because they weren't made for that device or resolution.
Today it's essential for your website to be responsive, not only for the user's browsing experience, but also to rank better on search engines and increase relevance. Google has made mobile-friendliness one of its ranking factors in search results.
Ranking well in a Google search depends on many factors, such as the searcher's geographic location, what your competitors are doing and how the online community values your website: the more visits and page shares your site gets, the more likely it is to rank well in a search.
There are, however, a number of known factors that should be worked on, commonly called SEO (search engine optimisation).
These techniques use a range of tools applied throughout a website's life cycle, from design to development. This work is ongoing; in Google's own words: "You wouldn't abandon your shop for 6 months, would you? Then you shouldn't do it with your website either." Keeping your website up to date is essential: share information that's relevant to your customers.
Getting a quote for Website Design is easy, free and with no obligation. We just need to know which services you'd like and the goals you want to achieve, and then we'll present our best solution. Request a Quote here.
Yes, you can. We'll analyse your current website and then send you our suggestions along with a quote for your new site.
Our website creation methodology is divided into 6 stages:
1 – Analysis of Requirements
2 – Definition of the Strategy to implement
3 – Creating the site's Design architecture
4 – Implementation of features
5 – Launch and promotion of the website
6 – Optimisation through results analysis
O Projeto dará início após a assinatura do contrato e pagamento do valor inicial. O cliente é responsável pelo envio dos conteúdos e a equipa da Ourview é responsável pela criação e desenvolvimento do site.
You can contact our team on 938381942, by email at ourview@gmail.com, through the contact form or by making a quote request.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. SEO is simply optimising a website's pages to achieve a better ranking on search engines.
Several studies show that more than 50% of a website's visits come from search engines, hence the importance of websites ranking well.
Although Google and other search engine companies don't disclose the factors that influence ranking on a results page, a number of best practices have been identified that should be taken into account when creating a website. Some examples: good coding practices, content optimisation (visible to users and otherwise), and links between the site and other sites (for example, social media shares or mentions on other websites).
All websites and online stores are developed and implemented in line with SEO best practices "search engine optimisation", covering server settings, page loading time, mobile optimisation and search engine registration. However, optimising content so it can appear for keyword searches is quoted separately.
Google usually takes around 3 to 4 weeks to find your website online. We take steps to speed this up, but we have no control over it.
Appearing on the first page of Google's search results requires SEO and online advertising strategies. Once your website is complete, we offer a range of digital marketing services in line with each client's goals.
The average time and price for creating a website vary according to the time required and the complexity of the project, the features to be implemented, the number of pages, the number of forms, the size of the database, etc.
Your new website could go live within 30 days, depending on its complexity and provided there are no delays in sending content and approvals.
A criação de logotipo não está incluída no desenvolvimento site, mas a Ourview também disponibiliza aos seus clientes o serviço de design gráfico. Envie-nos mais informações sobre aquilo que pretende e faremos um orçamento.
The biggest advantage of using a content management system is that it's much easier to maintain and update any information: news, images, text, menus, product/service catalogues, event calendars, promotions… Anyone, even without coding experience, can easily maintain and update the website, from any computer, as long as they have internet access and a login to the site's back office.
We recommend a content-managed solution when a company has an active communication policy and wants to update its website frequently, or has a very extensive catalogue/portfolio and/or one that needs frequent updates.
When you hear that a website has a Back office, CMS (Content Management System), Admin Panel or Content Management, it means it's built on a platform that lets users update the site, even without coding knowledge.
Access to the back office, i.e. the restricted area of the site used to edit it, requires a username and password, ensuring the integrity of the published information.
Uma das plataformas de gestão de conteúdos mais utilizada no mercado é o WordPress. A Ourview desenvolve sites utilizando esta plataforma.
All the websites we develop come with a contact form set up with Name, Email, Subject and Message fields by default. If the client wants more forms on their site or other custom fields, they should request a quote.
By default, a single Google Maps location map is set up according to the client's instructions. If the client wants to add more Google Maps or other custom maps to the site, they should request a quote.
Online Stores
As the name suggests, an online store is a space where you can showcase and sell your products or services.
To buy items, customers visit the brand's website or app, add items to a virtual shopping cart and pay to complete the purchase.
Unlike a physical shop, an online store doesn't need a physical space to operate, as it is hosted on the internet.
By choosing to launch your business online, you avoid much of the red tape involved in setting up and maintaining a physical premises.
As well as far less work, the costs of an online store are also lower.
As sales aren't limited to a single location, your audience of potential customers grows significantly.
Online stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so customers can buy at any time.
The search is fast and intuitive, by item or category;
A wide range of payment methods available;
The option to customise your online store's layout;
Quick implementation, combined with simple day-to-day management;
The customer can check the status of their order in the online store's account area;
The products or services can easily be shared on social media;
You can add several photos of the same product, which brings customers closer to the product;
You can stay in touch with your customers by sending newsletters;
- You'll have access to key statistical data that will be an excellent starting point for growing your store;
To publish an online store you need a domain, web hosting and a platform.
Domain: the address people will use to view your products or services (e.g. www.mybusinessstore.pt). It requires an annual fee.
Web Hosting: with a physical shop you either own the premises or rent them. Online it's not much different. Hosting is where your website's files are stored. It also requires an annual fee.
Platform: The platform you choose depends on the project's needs. The platforms we usually work with are WooCommerce or PrestaShop and, for more complex projects, Magento or even custom development.
- Market research
- Planning
- Choosing the hosting, domain and platform, and developing the sales website;
- Deciding how you will ship your products and to which regions;
- Choosing the payment methods and the kind of online presence you want;
- Opening a business bank account;
- Researching the terms most searched for by potential customers;
- Preparing all the information about your products and adding them to the store;
- Testing the website and improving every aspect considered essential;
- Promoting the website and ensuring excellent customer support;
The features no online store should be without are:
- Quick access to basic information such as payment methods and returns policy;
- Order tracking for customers;
- Automation of basic processes;
- SSL certificate, antivirus, anti-spam and backup system;
- A simple checkout that leaves customers in no doubt;
- Clear information about shipping costs;
- Responsive design, adapted to every screen size;
- A simple, intuitive layout;
- Abandoned cart recovery.
In Portugal – and elsewhere – selling products online involves some administrative processes that you can't overlook. Some of the most important are:
- Registering your business activity with the tax authority: your online store must be able to issue invoices to customers, so it must be registered with the tax authority. You can complete this process online or in person, but always consult a professional;
- Geographic restrictions: this information must be visible to your customers and leave no room for doubt;
- Payment methods: you should know in advance which payment methods will be used and set up the associated accounts;
- Terms and conditions, privacy policy and online complaints book: these three pages are mandatory and must be visible on your website so customers can access them easily;
Although creating an online store has costs, they are much lower than opening a physical shop. The costs are:
- Setting up the company/registering the brand;
- Creating an online store in line with the brand's mission and values;
- Marketing investment (SEO, Online Advertising, Email Marketing, Social Media, among others);
- Registering the domain and purchasing hosting;
- Services that automate ecommerce tasks;
- Finally, if applicable, investment in stock;
Shipping costs should be calculated based on several factors. For example, will you ship only within Portugal or across Europe? Will you use a courier? And what about shipping fees: will shipping be free above a certain amount?
This information should be clearly highlighted for customers.
Once the website is launched, the first step is to test it and improve anything that doesn't meet the required quality or functionality. This testing can cover how it displays on different devices, whether links and forms work, and loading speed.
Once testing is done and the website has officially launched, it's time to promote it. You should outline a digital marketing strategy and choose the best techniques for your goals and budget, such as SEO, email marketing and social media.
If you have a budget for offline or online advertising, that can also be an excellent way to grow your brand and, in turn, your sales. What really matters is not just sitting back and waiting for sales.
As well as digital marketing, it's essential to invest in customer loyalty techniques. Pay attention to customer service: as well as helping customers complete their purchase, it will help you keep them afterwards.
This support can be provided through an FAQ page, a chat on the website itself, email marketing or easy access to contact details.
Se você já tem uma loja online, nós na Agência Ourview, podemos potenciar as suas vendas e gerar um aumento no lucro. Muitas vezes, é necessário fazer mudanças no planeamento para que o seu ecommerce store gets better results.
The consulting is essential to diagnose problems, propose solutions and increase your business's profitability.
Our role is to identify potential performance issues in your store and take action so your goals are achieved.
Content Updates
It's not enough to have an excellent website, advertise it and get hundreds of visitors a day. If your website isn't constantly updated, users will start to lose interest, because nobody likes reading the same book over and over or always seeing the same images. That's why website maintenance is so important.
We always advise our clients to add new images, text, videos, articles, events and products. That's why a maintenance plan for your website matters: you'll know there's always a professional available to carry out these tasks.
By adding new content, your website will be visited more often, and for search engines that's a very important ranking factor. You'll need to update your site regularly, weekly or monthly, but these updates will be what makes your website better than your competitors'.
Website maintenance has the following advantages:
• A professional dedicated to your site, checking system and hosting server security;
• Website updates, such as new text, images, products, ad campaigns, etc.
• Support for your needs;
• Better value with a maintenance package compared with hiring services individually.
All text and images for the website must be sent by the client; our team is not responsible for any errors they may contain.
Clientes dos planos de manutenção da Ourview podem solicitar um nº de alterações de conteúdos de páginas por mês. Lembrando apenas que essas atualizações não são cumulativas. Isso significa que caso o cliente tenha feito apenas uma atualização de uma única página num mês, as que não foram utilizadas não poderão ser solicitadas posteriormente. Cada atualização corresponde a 1 página redigida em Microsoft Word, com fontes no tamanho mínimo 11, com no máximo 10 imagens e 10 links.
Yes, as long as the website includes an admin panel. In this case the client will have a username and password to log in to the site's restricted area and update its content.
Updates will be made within 3 working days.
On plans that don't include client access to the back office, all changes must be requested by email, at a cost of €20 + VAT per page for changes to existing content and €50 + VAT for each new page.
Domains and web hosting
It's where your website is stored. A website is simply a set of files made up of code and images, properly programmed to work correctly.
For the website to work, these files need to be stored on a computer (hosting server) that anyone anywhere in the world can access.
Não, a Ourview já oferece a primeira anuidade do serviço de alojamento com as seguintes características:
- unlimited disk space
- unlimited monthly traffic
- email accounts
Registering a domain is really your company's address on the internet. It's essential for strengthening your company's digital identity, as it's the extension of your physical space into the digital world. Ideally it should be short and easy, preferably your company name, for example: www.yourcompany.pt
Yes, the Ourview team registers the domain in your name at no extra cost. The first year of your new domain is free.
Yes, you just need to point your domain to our server. Our team will send you the necessary information and provide all the support needed to complete this.
Our servers run automatic daily backups every 24 hours for security. We guarantee a free restore to the latest backup if accounts are misconfigured due to a technical fault or a hacking attack.
Whenever a client requests a backup restore of their own accord, it costs €25 + VAT.
Google Ads
There's no minimum amount to advertise, but bear in mind that to rank well you need to be competitive. There's a performance indicator called impression share, which tells you the percentage of times your ads are shown for searches related to your keywords. The more audience segments you target, the more you need to invest to cover all searches.
Spend is controlled directly in the tool and can be tracked in real time as campaigns receive clicks during the day; daily budgets should already be set when the campaign is created.
A good tip is to calculate the monthly budget available within the company's marketing strategy and divide it by 30.4 (the average number of days in a month over a year).
If someone clicks your ad, the click won't cost more than the maximum cost-per-click bid (max. CPC) you set. For example, if you set a maximum CPC bid of €2.00, you won't pay more than that for each click your ad receives.
With a higher bid, your ad is more likely to appear in a higher position on Google's page.
Google shows up to 4 ads at the top of the search results page. This is a prime spot, with a much higher click-through rate than the bottom of the page.
Google places ads there that have a high Quality Score and a high enough maximum bid per click to appear prominently.
Quality Score is one of the variables that determine an ad's position on Google. Every time a user searches on Google, an instant auction takes place to determine which advertisers will appear for that search and in what position.
The higher an ad's Quality Score, the less you pay to keep it in the same position. If the advertiser keeps their bid, the ad tends to move up as its Quality Score increases.
Quality Score is influenced by a number of variables, such as the ad's click-through rate (CTR), the relevance of the Landing Page to the ad and the keywords' Quality Score history since the account was created.
Google issues invoices for all amounts charged during the month. Invoices are available by the fifth working day of each month.
Social Media
There are countless advantages, from increasing sales to winning customers' trust in a new brand.
When we talk about social media, we're talking about an audience of millions of active users. Practically the whole population is connected to at least one social network. They all serve a single purpose: bringing people together. However, each social network has its own particular features.
Today, social media is a valuable resource for consumers, as it's where they find other consumers' opinions about products and services. You need to build a relationship so they identify with your company and want to hear your news.
Social media lets you get your message across, enabling two-way communication and increasing your visibility in the market.
Posting frequency depends on your audience and the social network. What matters is the quality of posts, not the quantity: followers won't buy your product or request your service out of sheer exhaustion. If users follow or have found your page, they want relevant content that fits your brand's world.
Facebook: a highly dynamic network that gives users many ways to communicate. As so many people have accounts, the potential to attract customers is high. Posting frequency: ideally once a day or three times a week, depending on the quality of the content.
Instagram: a network focused on images and videos. As users have a timeline full of options, it's important to grab attention with your content. Posting frequency: once or twice a day, and testing is essential to find out what times and days your audience is most active.
LinkedIn: unlike other networks, LinkedIn doesn't need several posts a day to reach users. As it's a network focused on professional goals, bear in mind that traffic is concentrated during the working week. Posting frequency: as published by the network itself, ideally 20 posts a month.
If your focus is 100% on running your business and, although you don't have time to learn how to define and implement a social media strategy within an integrated digital marketing strategy, you want to explore the amazing possibilities social media brings to your business, then yes, it makes perfect sense to hire an Agency for social media management.
Social Media – (Seemingly) Easy to Manage
Many companies on social media think using it is just a matter of creating a Facebook page and sharing posts on it. From that point of view, it really doesn't make sense to have an agency do it. After all, how hard can it be?
The problem is that this is only the most basic use of social media, often stopping the company from making the most of it. What often happens is that communication isn't done in the best way, with no strategy, which ends up delivering no results and sometimes even harms the company's image.
So, What Can You Do to Improve Your Social Media Presence?
Every case is different, but there are tips that can help your business make better use of social media, such as:
Plan your social media presence
Na Agência Ourview verificamos que a maior parte dos clientes que nos abordam para melhorar a sua presença digital, anteriormente tinham publicações nas redes sociais, mas não eram planeadas. Planear faz com que haja uma coerência nas publicações, na voz a ser utilizada, obriga a que estas sejam efetuadas de forma periódica e permite poupar algum tempo.
Define your target audience properly
People often don't think about the target audience before posting on the company's social media, making it look almost like their personal page.
Sometimes, going off-topic can even be strategic to create positive feelings. However, it's essential to know your audience: what they like, what they're looking for, how they behave, their affinities, their demographics, etc. This kind of analysis lets you create or select content that helps you reach your goals / evoke certain feelings among the people who matter to you.
Define a content strategy
What's shared on social media, and what sets companies apart? Content. Content can take many formats, the most popular being text, image, video and audio. It can also be a combination of these.
Having a strategy lets us select content to achieve a specific goal and analyse its performance. That way, nothing is random anymore and everything starts to make sense, both for us and for those reading it!
Take advantage of social media advertising opportunities
Thanks to its powerful targeting capabilities, social media lets you advertise to people who show interest in related products and services. However, it helps to understand at least a little about how these platforms work so you can get a return on the money invested.
Integrate Your Social Media Strategy into an Overall Strategy
Social media is a powerful communication channel, but it should always be integrated into a broader strategy. Being aware of how communication should be multichannel, and how to make that happen, can help you make better use of social media.
For example, you can identify people who visited your website from Facebook, show them ads when they search for certain keywords on Google or visit the blog, and they end up buying products on your company's website. It all started on social media, but it was a multichannel strategy that kept them in touch with the brand along the way.
One of the main advantages of digital marketing is that it's measurable. You can make changes in real time, compare them with previous settings, decide which is most effective and learn from the results. For a more accurate analysis, you need to define your KPIs, i.e. your key performance indicators.
Examples: conversion rate, number of followers, audience engagement, etc. can determine whether your marketing action was successful. To define them, you need to analyse your type of business and your goals on social media.
There's no single right time or day to guarantee a post's success; each social network has a pattern that varies according to your followers. The ideal is to test different times and measure the results.
Your strategy is defined together with the agency's Social Media team. Often, posts designed to spark interaction generate the most buzz, as they keep the conversation with your followers alive.
However, it's important not to focus only on that, as the number of likes doesn't define your campaign's success. Always keep the post's goal in mind and understand your target audience through the comments and messages sent to your page; it's important to give customers a voice and gain insights from their feedback. Get to know your audience and speak their language.
It depends on your strategy, your goals and, above all, your type of business and audience. There are many types of social networks, each focused on different audiences. Even so, with a good strategy, your brand can interact and be present in different ways for its users.
Facebook: the most popular social network, focused on posts with longer text and photos/videos, and a very effective network for creating event pages.
Instagram: the main focus of this network is photos; captions are the only way to publish text, though much shorter than on Facebook. Hashtags extend the reach of posts if they're well chosen for the target audience.
LinkedIn: a fully business-oriented network geared towards the corporate world, mainly for sharing professional experiences, promoting industry news and networking.
