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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Childminder websites?

19 replies

chloemegjess · 01/06/2008 15:19

Hello. I am in the process of registering as a CM and want to get everything set up so I can be ready when I start advertising.

I am thinking about creating or buying a website to promote my buissness. But don't really know where to start.

What are the prices like? I haven't got a clue about what you have to pay for?

Does anybody know what it would cost to get somebody to create me a basic site, with my logo etc and I would enter all my info? Or any recommendations for somebody who will do it?

Sorry if this isn't a very clear post, just cluless on the whole thing.

Thanks

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schneebly · 01/06/2008 15:24

If I were you I would got for a simpe site builder that you can do yourself - something like mr site

I have used it in the past as has a friend and it was pretty easy and doesn't cost a lot.

There are free site builders out there too but they mean you have to have a funny add on to your web address whereas with the mr site one you can have a proper .co.uk address.

HTH

looneytune · 01/06/2008 15:30

I haven't built websites for ages now (too busy with childminding and now expecting baby number 2 in 3 weeks) but here is an idea of what my charges were when I was doing them. Website Here. Please ignore lack of images working, was in middle of changes and never got back to it .

Agree a lot of the free ones are easy to use for a lot of people

Original poster

chloemegjess · 05/06/2008 20:27

Thanks. Just looking a the sites now. The Mr site thing, does that include the .co.uk address or just the software to make one? Bit confused about what it is.

Thanks

OP posts:

berkschick · 05/06/2008 20:35

You can get a website built from here for £30. I can highly recommend them click here

nannynick · 05/06/2008 20:37

How much would you be wanting to pay?
Reason I ask is that two childminders have asked me to do sites for them, and I have no idea what to charge.

Original poster

chloemegjess · 05/06/2008 22:02

Nannynick, i have no idea. I am completly new to this and just want to get the best deal. Sorry I know thats not very helpful, but I really don't have a clue how much to spend on it.

OP posts:

Original poster

chloemegjess · 05/06/2008 22:11

berkschick - Thank you! I have just enquired about one. I use that forum anyway, but no idea they sold websites!

OP posts:

brandyboat · 06/06/2008 18:50

You may have already found a website now but if you are interested I am in the process of setting up a web design service for childminders.
I haven't finished my own website advertising my service yet but if you'd like to see a site that I have done take a look at www.beckyschildminding.co.uk

I am planning to charge £180 which will include .co.uk domain name and a years hosting ( will be about £50 per year after that with any changes done for free.)

I am a childminder myself so I can help you with the site content or you could provide your own info and pics.

Hope this helps

Amy

nannynick · 07/06/2008 00:19

£180 seems quite a lot to me, not sure what others think. The childminders I know were not looking at that much (mind you they are friends, so would be getting friends rates). Perhaps I need to think about how much work is involved. Oh it is tricky to work out how much to charge for this kind of thing.

juneybean · 07/06/2008 01:48

I mean it depends on what you're offering, are the name and space included in the price or separate.

Domain names are relatively cheap £2.99 for 2 years etc...however space is not so cheap if you want reliable service.

I'd quite willingly make websites for next to nothing as long as the childminder knew how much the space was.

nannynick · 07/06/2008 11:38

Hosting is under £20 per year, with a reliable UK based host I've used for the past, oh must be at least 6 years now. Often easier to get domain from them at the same time, little more costly at £5 per year for .co.uk, but no hassles with DNS. So year 1 cost £30, year 2 £20.

I suppose it's down to how much time I will spend on designing and coding the site. Any idea how much per hour that should be allocated at? Also there may be some image costs, but cost can be quite low from istockphoto who I typically use.

inceywincey · 07/06/2008 22:56

Hi...Mr Site is brilliant, I was recommended thru a friend who has a totally different business. I have been running my website for a year, which I designed myself, despite having absolutely no experience! It does take time, but once you have got the hang of it it is really easy. We publish daily diaries that are password protected and everything, so it really is an extremely useful tool. I think Mr site is by far the best, and if you want to you can take a look at my website to get an idea of the quality you are looking at but please email me if you would like to take a look, and I will give you the link, [email protected]

PS. I just bought another site and it cost £38 for the year, that includes your host, name and .co.uk or .com

elkiedee · 07/06/2008 23:32

From a different perspective, when I was looking for a CM I just used the Childcare Information Service website/telephoned for a printout of information. I wouldn't be sure if you're just setting up as a childminder and that you're on your own doing it that doing your own website would be the best use of time and money getting set up.

It's an area where I find an official list more useful.

I'd also suggest that when you're signing up for the local listings of childminders, you give detailed responses to the questions at least for circulation to parents who ring up for the printed list. Actually, I just emailed the ones who sounded vaguely possible and found a wonderful CM round the corner from me. I use the internet a lot and google for many things but I'm a bit doubtful about a website for this business. Remember, you will have a limited number of children you can take, and those interested will be parents living quite close to you. I think a website's more useful for a higher volume business and one where customers are likely to come from a wider or not strictly defined geographical area.

inceywincey · 07/06/2008 23:55

true elkiedee...but, in my area, once you have the list from your local CIS it is also great to be able to read a bit more about the childminder, and as such, a website is a great way of showing what you do, and how you work. I am increasingly finding that many parents are pleased to be able to read about us, before they contact us. Obviously though, you only know if a CM is right for your child if you visit them and meet them, however, I do believe that, like any profession, a website is great to give info about what you do, ethos etc...

nannynick · 08/06/2008 01:29

elkiedee, looking at weblogs for a childminders website I did a while back, I notice that a lot of visitors originate from the ChildcareLink/Direct.Gov entry. Then an enquiry form has been completed, thus contact made with the childminder. Therefore some parents are using ChildcareLink to do an initial search and then finding out more by clicking through to the childminders website.

Out of interest, once you got your printed list, did any of the childminders give a website url... and if so, did you then visit that, prior to contacting them? Also out of interest, you say that you e-mailed childminders - therefore, did you rule out childminders who had not included an e-mail address in their public information?

On the printed information, were you more inclined to contact those childminders who had put a lot of information? What particular sections did you feel were well detailed and thus helped convince you to contact them?

Sorry for all the questions, but it really helps childminders to see things from a parent looking for childcare point of view. Analysing how you went about finding a childminder can give us all a good insight into how parents look for childcare. Please do tell us more about how you selected a childminder(s) to visit/contact.

elkiedee · 08/06/2008 13:13

Nick, that's a good point. I don't think any suitable CMs near me had a website link or I would have followed it.

No, I wouldn't have ruled out a CM for not having email. It simply made it easier for me at the time that some did. I didn't find making lots of phone calls when I was on my own with the baby very easy, I could send out emails in the evenings and wait for responses in due course (I started in October for March). I'd planned to do a ring round when my mum was here to help with the baby, but by the time of her visit I'd met two CMs who responded to my email and decided that I liked both but the first even more. She was very newly registered at that point by the way, although she has 5 children of her own.

My CM does have a written policy document which she sent out by email when she replied to me and it's clearly modelled on a suggested document with some spelling or typing mistakes, but I liked what it said and it answered some questions - discipline/restraint (only for child's safety), food, asking consent to take him out (park, carer's groups at the local children's centre, the library).

It's probably a bit flukey that I only visited two and chose the first I met to leave my baby with, but now he's been there for 3 months I'm satisfied that I made the right decision, even if it was luck not judgement.

nannynick · 08/06/2008 15:36

Thank you elkiedee, that is really helpful to know.

Out of interest, do you recall if the childminders you contacted had published how much they charged (did the list you have give you cost per hour/per day for some childminders)? I was chatting with a childminder earlier today and we were pondering if displaying hourly rate was a good move, or not a good move.

From a parents point of view, did you want to see the hourly rate, prior to contacting prospective childminders?

busymum1 · 08/06/2008 17:43

as cm never give out hourly rate for three reasons 1: some parents choose based on who lowest, not what is right for their child 2: I adjust my rate according to circumstances e.g. discount for siblings, more for social services work due to delay in payment, 3: What each childminder offers for money and whether that includes extra's e.g. nappies, milk is not stated

elkiedee · 08/06/2008 20:36

nick, I seem to remember some did mention an hourly rate on the published information and some didn't. I remember asking the two I met and another who lived too far away. I think I looked at daily/weekly rates. I can't pretend price didn't influence my decision - I was budgeting for about half my take home pay and would have found more than that hard to afford (and I know a lot of people in this area do pay more than that).

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