What is web site development?
Web Development incorporates all of the elements that combine together to create,
host, publish, market and maintain a web site. These elements all work together
and depend upon one another. Each element has a significant purpose and has an effect
on the project as a whole. For example; you cannot publish a web site that has not
been created or designed, your web site cannot be broadcast on the world wide web
without a server, proper marketing and optimization techniques cannot be accomplished
without a registered domain name, and so on. Web site development is the process
of putting together an HTML program that is published on the world wide web or in
house intranet. This would include all of the web sites you have seen on the web
and many more you have not. Each web site you visit is in fact a program designed
to work with internet and web protocols.
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How will I receive my design project once
it is finished?
A finished project is yours upon receipt of final payment. At your request, we will
supply the electronic files to you on CD, floppy, or through e-mail. We also keep
a copy of your project on file for later updates or should you lose your copy.
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What can a website do for me?
The answer to this question is neither short nor easy. With a little research and
thought you can find hundreds of reasons, but there are a few general statements
that may help you realize your needs. First a website can reach millions of people
that might not otherwise be available. Second, customers can view products, services,
or whatever you want to share from the comfort of their own home. No matter what
type of business you are in, their are ways to grow and make money on the web for
you.
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What is Design Process?
We require a deposit on all projects. We provide you with a web site questionnaire
and business analysis. This will help you refine your ideas, goals and needs and
helps us to understand your vision for your web site. To get your design right the
first time, we need a clear vision to begin. We will then send you a Project Proposal
stating the working agreement and clarifying what we will do. You will also get
the estimated time frame and cost for your project. After that is accomplished,
we move into the design phase. We will provide you with a full mockup graphic presentation
of what our concept of your design ideas have created. We will then work together
on any changes that may need to be made. As those pages are approved, we move into
the next phase - Content and HTML. We ask that you provide us with all content so
that your website can be complete. E-commerce processes are slightly different.
We will also do order testing and provide training and support as needed.
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How long will the designing process
takes place?
Once the content is provided to us and the design selections have been made, we
can usually have your website up and running within a few days. Actual time is based
on the size, scope and nature of your web site. It can fluctuate, especially if
there are lots of changes during the design phase. We will work with you to ensure
that all of the elements and aspects are handled in the proper order to produce
an affordable web site in a realistic time frame.
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Why should I use your website design services and
not another company, and have you got a proven track record?
We provide a one to one personal service and are friendly and accommodating. We
are always available by phone or email to answer your questions. Our website design
prices are very competitive. We are experts in search engine optimization,
most website design companies are not.
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Are there any hidden charges for your
website design or optimization services?
No! Once we have all the information about your requirements you will be given a
price and that price will stand firm for both the website design and the optimization,
if required. The only time a given price would change is if you want another page
or any other material added before completion of the website.
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Can I update my web site?
Yes, we provide updating and maintenance as well as marketing services. Our rates
go by the hour or we can give you a price per instance. We also provide the necessary
training for you and your staff that include simple, effective strategies.
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How long will it take to create my site?
That will depend on several things: 1) The number of pages to the site; 2) The amount
(if any) custom graphics needed; 3) The number or complexity of forms needed. The
average site, however, can often be built in as little as two weeks.
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What is a template and why might I want to
use one?
A template is a pre-made site layout. The best reasons for using them is they allow
us to create your site in much less time than if we create a custom template from
scratch. We have a few carefully chosen sources for our templates, based on their
excellence and affordability. There are litterally thousands to choose from.
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Will my web pages work with any browser?
They should. We test all pages in Internet Explorer, Netscape and Opera (the primary
browsers), and do our best to insure each browser displays the pages correctly.
We create our pages in HTML 4 which is universal code for all browsers. In spite
of that, the browsers still tend display the same page differently. Since, at times,
it is not possible to eliminate this problem, we make sure IE displays correctly
since it is the most widely used browser. Important note: Certain elements, such
as a PowerPoint presentation may only be accessible with the Internet Explorer;
others may only be viewable with Netscape. You should keep this in mind if your
target customers are more likely to use an alternative browser.
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Can you design a logo for me, copy
my corporate logo or create a banner ad?
Yes, we can design a new logo, copy a corporate logo give your current logo a make-over,
or create banner ads.
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What is the difference between
web design and web maintenance?
Web design
is the actual creation of the website. Options are previewed and choices are made
regarding themes, styles, colors, page layout, navigation, graphics, fonts and content.
We want to convey a look and feel that will uniquely represent your particular business.
Web maintenance is the updating and changing of content on that site. The web design
contract is separate from the web maintenance or webmaster services. For simple
additions to existing e-mail just e-mail the new account name and we will update
at no charge. However, we do suggest a maintenance agreement or training for your
staff to accomplish these tasks in house. Certain maintenance tasks will need to
be scheduled and performed on a regular basis in order to keep your content fresh,
maintain links, submissions to search engines, and to keep it user-friendly. The
amount of time spent on maintenance depends on the type of web site (informational
or e-commerce) and on your own specific business needs.
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How many pages is the average site?
The average site ranges between 7 - 20 pages, but can vary depending on the nature
of the business and/or the purpose of the site.
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What domain name should I choose?
This depends on how you are going to use it. If you are going to be telling people
over the phone, choose one that is easy to say and spell out loud. Above all, I
would choose one that is memorable and not confusing.
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Can you register my domain name for me?
Yes, we would.
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What is the difference between a "static"
and a "dynamic" site?
A static site is one that is written in HTML only. Each page is a separate document
and there is no database that it draws on. What this means functionally is that
the only way to edit the site is to go into each page and edit the HTML - so you'd
either have to do it yourself using a webpage editor like FrontPage or pay me to
go in and edit the site each time you wanted something changed. A dynamic site is
written using more complex code and can do a lot more. For instance, I can make
an area where you can log in and change various parts of the site, such as adding
information or products. This is because each page is constructed based on the information
in a database, and the information in that database can be changed via another interface.
Dynamic sites can reduce ongoing maintenance costs if you don't want to change things
yourself with a webpage editor or with the HTML. They usually cost more to develop,
as they require more complex coding and a content management utility needs to be
developed to help you manage your website information. Another benefit of dynamic
sites is that they allow you to change only the content of the site and not the
design, so you will not be able to accidentally break the visual style of the site.
They have other benefits when sites start to get very large, as they make data management
much more efficient and your site more expandable. Many clients do a combination,
having some dynamic areas such as a product catalog where they have to change information
or pictures regularly, and leave other pages such as contact information as static
pages.
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What is the client's involvement in
the design process?
We thoroughly discuss the project at hand with our client from the beginning. We
encourage the client to bring in any samples, color combinations/swatches, and ideas
they may have. During the design process, the client is asked to approve certain
milestones before work continues. At the conclusion of a project, the client may
request the artwork in various formats.
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What do I have to do to get my own website?
Getting your own website is easier than you might think. You tell us what you want,
you provide us with your pictures, texts, and logos, and we do all the work necessary
to create your website and to post it on the Internet.
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How frequently do I need to update my website?
It depends on what you're doing with your website, but we definitely recommend you
a plan for this. Content is critical for optimization and "fresh" or new content
is an important factor for ranking. If you have a small business brochure website
you might probably want to update twice a year some pages on your website, you might
also have a page to display the latest news on your website and you can add a couple
of notes once a month or every two months if you want. For e-commerce or database
websites you might update or add content more frequently, those kind of websites
are build to have those changes as need it. In any case if you're doing optimization,
you might want to talk with our optimization people about the importance of getting
new information on your website and what will be the best way to do it without having
problems with the code and content to optimize your website.
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How does your logo design process
work?
We first discuss the client's needs, target market, and uses for this logo. We then
ask for samples of existing logos that the client likes or dislikes to get an idea
of their taste. Sometimes the client already has a design concept in mind. Other
times, they have no idea what they want. Either way, our designers make sure they've
collected enough information before they begin work. Our logo design service is
very flexible. If you'd like to see only a few concepts or if you need many, our
service can be priced according to your needs.
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Why does it matter how it looks as long as
it works?
When you recieve a visitor to your site, they will instantly percieve the quality
of your services or products. The first impression a customer or potential customer
gets depends on the appearance of your website. A visitor will be interested and
explore your site if it is appealing and easy to navigate. You are marketing yourself
and your business to the world over the Internet and it is important to show your
best.
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I don't think a website will do anything for
me, am I right?
No, many people overlook the various products, services, or business processes they
can include on a website. Any communication or interactions that happen within your
business can be made easier and more effecient by the web. Your business will save
money and time while appealing to a much greater audience, the world.
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I have heard that my website can be a
place to help my employees do their jobs, is this true?
While most businesses view the Internet as an opportunity to expand their sales
through traditional e-commerce, few people are aware of the opportunities of increasing
efficiency and reducing expenses. Placing business processes, especially those done
daily, on the internet is possible for all types of businesses.
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Do I need to use a website design company
that is local to me?
No you don't! Everything can be done over the internet or the telephone. We design
websites for companies worldwide and rarely meet our clients, some of whom have
been clients of ours for years. Our door is always open to anyone who would like
to speak to us face to face but we rarely visit anyone unless they live in our locality,
this helps to keep our website design prices low!
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Can I see the design while my website is
under development?
Yes! Once the design for the main page has been completed it will be uploaded to
our server for your approval. After approval the rest of website will be developed.
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Can I make changes to the website design
or text content once it has been started?
Yes! The main page will be uploaded for your approval. If you want changes made
to the design we can do it then.
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What screen resolution will you design
my website for?
Whatever screen resolution you would like. Most people have their screen resolutions
set at 800x600 so that's the resolution we would usually design a website for.
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I would like to use your website design
service, what do I do now?
We can be contacted about our website design services from the "
Contact Us
" or "Email" links in the navigation column on the left, or better
still give us a call now using the phone number below.
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What kind of graphic design services do
you provide?
Our graphic design services are varied and comprehensive. We provide
logo design,
brochure design,
illustrations, graphics for web sites,
direct mail design, marketing, stationery – including business card, letterhead,
envelope, mailing label, and presentation folder design, and any other printing
your business may require. Give us a call to see what we can do for you.
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Will I need any special software to run my website?
Just a web browser! If you sell things in a shop, it would help to have a digital
camera and some sort of image-editing program to resize and improve product photos.
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How do I check on the progress of my
job during the design process?
The client is kept abreast of the progress of their job through our approval process.
We present the project to the client at certain stages, or milestones, and wait
for approval before we continue work. We find that this process keeps the client
involved and prevents any breakdowns in communication. In between these milestones,
the client is free to call in to get an update.
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What is Search Engine Optimization?
Ans. Search engine optimization
is the process of choosing targeted keyword phrases related to a site, and ensuring
that the site places well when those keyword phrases are part of a Web search. How
are you able to express my style on my site? Before we get started on your site
we send you a huge email with a lot of design questions for you to answer. Once
we feel like we have a good idea of what you're looking for, we design a site idea
for you. From here, you can request changes to the design, or we can scrap it and
start over. As long as you're clear on what you want, you won't end up stuck with
a site you don't like if you work with us! How can I update my website? You have
a few options here, depending on how we set your site up.
Our ecommerce programs are designed so you can update your entire site from the
web-based admin tool. From adding and editing products to adding and editing your
information pages (such as your about page, your ordering info page, etc.). If we
set you up with a shopping cart program, you will be able to make all of your updates
yourself quite easily.
If you aren't running a shop, but want a site that you can update yourself through
a web-based admin, we can set your site up using a Content Management System. We
will create a template, and you will be able to add, edit, and delete pages from
your site through a tool.
If you just want to be able to update a part of your site, we can stick a blog into
the page that you will be able to update yourself through Blogger, LiveJournal,
WordPress, Moveable Type, or your blogging software of choice. This way you can
update the news without ever touching the HTML code.
If we just do a simple site for you, without any content management software, the
basic HTML used to write text on your site is really simple. So if your updates
will consist almost entirely of text changes or additions, we can give you a tutorial
for how to do this yourself. We can also code the site to make the areas you can
change as clearly marked as possible. The time spent in teaching you how to update
your site is free, unless it gets excessive.
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