Ken has been designing and building web sites since first going on-line in 1995. He is completely self-taught and continues to improve his knowledge to this day. Sites are completely hand crafted as he does not like the very bloated code that general purpose WYSIWYG web site generators often produce. Hand coding every page enables a very tight control over content and therefore the resulting size of files, which makes loading times as fast as possible. However, the Dreamweaver application is used these days for its ability to bulk process many files in one go, whilst still being able to hand code each individual page, and to maintain a constant theme throughout your web site with the use of templates.
Sites built by KenKode are created with a combination of HTML and CSS, incorporating JavaScript and PHP where required to improve the dynamic capabilities and security of personal information displayed on your web site.
Your on-line security is important and taken seriously by me, so web sites designed and built by KenKode will include security features such as hiding email address from web-spiders (via JavaScript) and customised FORM processing (via individually written PHP), both of which prevent web spiders from harvesting your email address for their spamming purposes. Similar methods can be used to hide other personal information you may wish to safely display, if required. Just ask.
Ken is happy to take requests for sites from individuals, groups and small to medium sized companies. Sites can be designed from scratch to your exact requirements or can be built around an existing template if you have identified one which meets your requirements. I'm able to use your existing ISP on reception of the necessary FTP upload details, or I can arrange for new ISP hosting where necessary. This is normally through Orpheus Internet, but can be through any ISP if you have a particular preference.
Design and Pricing
For hints on planning the design of your new web site, and some sample price options, please see my Design Hint & Tips and Web Site Pricing pages. If you would like to discuss your web site requirements and arrange for a quote for the work, please use my contacts page.
Reference sites
Some sites I currently maintain:
- Knottingley Concert Brass
This is an active site with well over 200 live pages these days. I started the site back in 1996 and it has grown and been updated significantly over the years. JavaScript was added in the early days for roll-over buttons and elsewhere where required. CSS introduced 2002 as a method of giving the site a common theme. A small shop added in 2003 using PayPal buttons (with custom JavaScript behind them). The site had a major overhaul in 2008 to make use of my custom built Dreamweaver template. In 2009, I changed the automated email system to use HTML responses rather than plain text, to give the visitor an improved response. Also that year I updated the (manual) calendars to be automatically created by writing some custom PHP code to do what I required. With a dedicated CSS file and hand-built buttons the calendars now have a full colour, 3D, interactive appearance.
- The Maltings Clinic
A successful chiropody and holistic therapy clinic business in Selby, the web site was started in 2002. It has been through several updates over the years, being converted to a custom built template based design and featuring a JavaScript navigation system, using CSS, JavaScript. PHP was added after four years to the forms validation and email sending system. In 2009 it was given another complete overall giving the two parts of the clinic their own colour scheme and improving the layout to give it an even more professional image. I convert the navigation system completely to CSS, which also improved search engine indexing of the site.
- C. A. Counselling and Training Services
A web site built for a customer starting up her own professional Counselling and Training business in South Wales. Designed closely with the owner, the site went through a couple of design changes and colour schemes until she was happy with the result, when it then went live in 2009. Built from scratch around a customised Dreamweaver template design, it utilises CSS, JavaScript and PHP.
- Dogs On Holiday
Another small business web site designed from scratch in 2008, using a hand built template in Dreamweaver, and also using CSS, JavaScript and PHP.
- My own family web site
My own site started back in 1995 and has been used to gain experience in web site design since that time, along with being a test-bed for my JavaScript, CSS and PHP education projects. The site has gone through a number of complete overhauls in that time and no longer looks anything like any of the earlier formats. Completely redesigned using Dreamweaver templates in 2008, it also uses CSS, JavaScript and PHP. The LightBox image display facility was added following a successful implementation in the New Hudson Web site (below).
- New Hudson
A site dedicated to vintage motor cycles, in particular the range of New Hudson Motor Cycles and Autocycles made in their Birmingham factory between 1902 and 1957. The site is run by Eric Londesbrough, possibly the leading specialist in the New Hudson range in the U.K., if not the world. With a simple but striking appearance, the site was prepared from a hand designed dreamweaver template, and makes my normal use of CSS, JavaScript and PHP. The gallery pages began to get more photographs from visitors to the site, so I added the LightBox image display facility to improve the user experience, a function I can now offer to all customers.
- KenKode
This site. Started up when I began contracting in 2005, but went through a major upgrade to the site you are looking at today in early 2008 to use a custom built template, CSS, JavaScript and PHP.