 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
WEB
DESIGN
How
much does a site cost?
How
do I get a web site design cost quote? If you do not yet have a web site, and you believe that your web site will be more than 2-3 pages, you will be asked to forward a copy of the materials you plan to use to so that it may be reviewed. In either case, the more information you can provide the better you can be assisted. After reviewing your materials or current web site, you will be provided with a written quote and sent to you either by email or regular mail. If you would
like a web site design quote or if you are not sure what you would
like to have done but have some questions, please email
or call..
How
long before a website is online?
Do
I need to use a "local" web site designer? With the aid of email, it is possible to communicate effectively as well as efficiently across long distances. 99% of all of communication with the client is done via email or telephone. There are many advantages of communicating via email such as the fact that you as a client will have a written record of all of our communiques. In addition, communicating via email also helps us keep our overhead down which results in us being able to charge web site design fees that are reasonable and competitive. Not accustomed
to using email to communicate? If you are going to have a web site,
now is the time to become comfortable using email as a communication
tool! Be aware of the fact that your future web site visitors will
most likely want to contact you and/or communicate via email..
What
do I have to do first? Take a look at other websites that are related to what you are thinking about. What do you like about them? What do you dislike about them? This will help you with ideas for your own site. Providing
as much information as possible will help us get an idea of what
will be entailed to provide what you request, a price quote and
possibly other suggestions. The initial consultation is free
and you are not obligated to use our services.
Where
do I get information & graphics to put on my web site? When you are gathering together your web site materials, it is more important to remember where you should not obtain your web site information and graphics from. You should never take or copy graphics, information or content from another person or company's web site without first receiving written permission from the owner of the materials. There are many ‘public domain’ elements you can obtain. So where do you get the information and graphics for your site? The answer is clear. Write the content yourself and/or only use information that you have written permission to use. This may not be the easiest way to put your web site information together, but it is the best. The end result will be an original web site that is uniquely you. Graphics may also be custom designed for you. Don't take the
easy way out - be original - be unique - be successful! .
What
is a domain name and where do I get one? TIP #1: You
cannot begin or end your domain name with a hyphen ("-").
What
do the name extensions mean? Which do I choose?
Animations,
bells & whistles - they're cool...Aren't they? When you are trying to decide whether to add bells and whistles, etc. to your web site, consider the following... Notice that most of the big search engines do not use bells and whistles. Why? Because they are reaching out to a broad audience that may be using older browsers, slow modems, and people without the plug-ins that some of the "cool" bells and whistles require. By keeping their pages simple, they are assured that their web site will be able to be viewed by anyone – no matter what browser, etc. that they have. So if the big guys/gals on the web don't use all that fancy stuff, should you? Well, you can, but be aware that a potential customer may come to your site, need your services and/or products, and can't see what you have to offer because they don't have the capability. In addition, these bells and whistles may even crash their browser. You can pretty much count on them never coming back to your site if that happens. Also, using
bells and whistles, animations, etc. can substantially increase
the load time for your web site. Many people will click their way
right out of your site because they don't want to wait. So when
it comes to using all that "cool" stuff on your page -
be cautious and use sparingly. Remember that people have come to
your web site for information, not necessarily to see bouncing,
waving, running, flashing things that take away from the content..
Once
my site is completed, where will it be stored? The best way
to find a good ISP is by word of mouth. Ask friends or family who
they use and if they are satisfied with them. If you would like
a few suggestions of web sites to look at to investigate prospective
providers please send us an email.
What
if my web site needs regular maintenance or updating? In the past,
some of our clients were provided with templates so they could do
their own updating. This did not work out at all. Hours and hours
were spent writing the instructions and then hours and hours walking
the clients through the process via email. Still after much coaching,
the web site pages they updated ended up in shambles and damage
repair had to be done. After all of that, most of them ended up
having their updating done for them or didn't update their sites
at all. It has taken years to learn the ins and outs of proper coding
and it simply isn't something that can be taught in 5 easy lessons.
.
What's
more important - page loading time or looking good?
How
do I get listed on the search engines? For
"high quality" vs "low quality" guidelines published
by the major search engines, click
here.
How
can the website be promoted? The adage “tell them and then tell them again” applies here. Think about your existing communication vehicles to see how they can be used to promote the Web site. Be sure that your online address is listed on all your company materials, such as stationary, envelopes, business cards, brochures, invoices, advertisements and proposals. Other communication tools to use are your voice mail system and on-hold messages. They can inform callers about the new site with a brief message. Email is another tool. Employees can update their signature section in the email system and include an invitation to “Please visit our new Web site at www.companyname.com. Print labels with your online address and brief copy encouraging customers to visit the new Web site. Place these labels on your company materials, even on product packaging. If you are surfing the Internet and discover something a site you would like to be linked to, don't be shy, give them a link from your site. It is much friendlier to send an email to another Webmaster that says 'I liked your site so much, I put a link at (insert the URL of your page that contains his/her link) to your site. Hope it generates some traffic for you. I would appreciate it if you would visit my site, and if appropriate to your audience, put a link to my site from yours.' Don't try to
list your site in places that you don't fit. If a site is a collection
to resources for writers and authors, your tree frog page would
be a real stretch. Don't waste your time and energy, and don't waste
the time and energy of the other Webmaster. Remember, it's not how
many places you are listed that matters. It's how many visitors
you get to your site. Keep focused on the goal.
What kind of support is available when the site
is completed? Some sites, such as content management sites, will require some learning time for the site owner. Training to do some site maintenance, if needed, is included in the site creation fee. Other
changes or additions that were not originally agreed to in the beginning
of the site creation will be charged for separately and must be
in writing. |
Copyright © 1998-10 Texas Webbies. All rights reserved.