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1. What is the
first step in commissioning the design of a web site?
2. Once we contact
W4 Designs Web Development, then what happens?
3. What happens if
we occasionally need to make content changes?
4. We have a web
site, but it is not doing much for us... can you help?
5. Once our web
site is completed and uploaded to the the WWW, how do people find us?
6. What is the
primary business or professional use of the WWW?
7. Are people using
their credit cards on the Internet?
8. How much will a
web site cost?
9. How long does it
take to get a web site online?
10. How widely
used is the Internet right now?
11. We have
scanning equipment, so can we do our own graphic and photo scans?
12. Should we have
our own domain name?
13. Our company is
not located in your state.... will that be a problem? 
Q 1.
What is the first step in commissioning the design of a website?
The very
first thing to do is to give some thought in advance to what you want your
web site to accomplish. The point of this exercise is to realistically
assess and prioritize the goals of placing your organization
online. While there are many factors to consider, here are just a few of the
questions you may want to answer...
Is it your
intention to:
- Provide comprehensive information about your product or service?
- Directly sell products from your site?
- Reach new markets or clientele?
- Provide online "customer support" 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week?
- Do market research by gathering visitor feedback?
- Give employees internal information?
- Post job opportunities?
- All of the above?
Please Note:
To assist you in the process of getting your organization online, we have a
helpful page for your reference.
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Q 2.
Once we contact W4 Designs Web Development, then what happens?
First, we
will discuss with you what your primary objectives are in placing
your organization on the World Wide Web. From that discussion we'll
determine what comprehensive solutions will fulfill those goals. Once
you indicate to us how extensive a site you want, we will take all that
information to collaborate in creating a content outline that will
guide the custom design process. Your opinions and ideas are incorporated
into every aspect of this outline.
With the resources gathered and the project outline clearly defined, we
will take what we learned from our ongoing discussions to create for you a
dynamic WWW presence that reflects your organization's identity,
providing for each visitor an impressive and inviting online
atmosphere.
When the initial design process is complete, we carefully review
each individual web page to be certain the presentation is both accurate and
attractively portrayed.
Your completed site is uploaded to the server in a "hidden"
directory for your final approval. Any changes you want can be made
at this time. Upon your authorization, it is then published on the
web for public viewing.
Finally, we are available to assist you in developing the best web
site promotion strategy for integrating your Internet presence into your
overall public relations and marketing approach. As is often said in
cyberspace, "a web site is an ongoing process, not just a one time
project."
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Q 3.
What happens if we occasionally need to make content changes?
This is what
is referred to as "web site maintenance." You can either outsource the job
to us to make the changes for you on an "as needed" basis, or (in the case
of your own domain name and server) you have the option to make those
changes yourself if you have the necessary equipment and expertise.
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Q 4.
We have a web site, but it is not doing much for us... can you help?
Yes. We
specialize in
makeovers - taking an existing web site and
transforming it into a productive, attractive, and profitable business
tool. Always remember, your web site is a "window through which the
world will view you," so making it as professional looking as possible
presents your organization in the best possible light.
We can also provide a professional
web site evaluation, where we'll check out
its HTML coding, layout, download time, graphics, and attractiveness to
search engines, then will prepare a detailed written report for you. You
select how many of the pages on your web site you want critically analyzed -
you can then make the changes to the site yourself, or have someone else do
it for you.
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Q 5.
Once our web site is completed and uploaded to the the WWW, how do people
find us?
It is well
documented that most people who visit a commercial or professional site are
doing so intentionally because they either intend to buy something (from you
or from someone else in your field) or because they are looking for specific
information.
So first of all, for you to attract visitors to your site, you must
thoroughly integrate your web address (URL) into your overall marketing / public relations plan. That means making it as
prominent and ubiquitous as your telephone number - on your letterhead,
business cards, brochures, advertisements, press releases, newsletters,
t-shirts... everywhere, even on your organization's vehicles.
Secondly, your site's URL will be registered with the major search engines (think of a search engine as an advanced form
of telephone directory assistance), so anyone looking specifically for you
or even for just someone in your field will have the opportunity to get your
web address.
If you really want to seriously promote your site, you can buy advertising banners at
other sites that have already established a lot of daily traffic.
Finally, you can make arrangements for "reciprocal linkage." This
means your URL is made available on someone else's site, and their URL is
listed on your site, so you each can benefit from the combined group of
visitors. The more
reciprocal links, the greater the
opportunity for new visitors.
Be certain you do NOT believe the hype that once you have a web site
"millions of web surfers" will all of a sudden want to visit you. There are
now over a hundred million web pages out in cyberspace, so it is not like
having a location in a big mall and just having people stroll in on a busy
Sunday afternoon because they have nothing better to do. To get visitors to
your site, you must both attract and encourage them.
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Q 6.
What is the primary business or professional use of the WWW?
Access to
information. People using the Internet to visit business and
professional web sites primarily want solid information - not gimmicks, not
babble - and they want to find that information in a minimum of time,
without having to aimlessly wander from page to page. Thus the need for
logical and consistent navigation.
In addition, people using the web very often want to communicate,
possibly be entertained, and increasingly (when visiting a commercial
site) they want to make a purchase. A well designed web site will
take each of these features into account.
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Q 7.
Are people using their credit cards on the Internet?
This became
much more common beginning in 1998, largely due to two factors. First, the
infrastructure of SSL (Secure Socket Layers) and SET (Secure
Electronic Transactions), both highly sophisticated encryption schemes, was
put thoroughly in place in the browsers and software that makes the safe use
of credit cards possible between customers, merchants, and banks.
Secondly, the e-commerce software (such as shopping carts) that
can be built into the structure of a commercial web site came down to a
reasonable price. Whereas once such software cost many thousands of dollars,
now there are very good versions for small business starting at $120. This
lower priced software allows a credit card number to be securely sent over
the Internet, and then for the complete customer order to be sent to you
electronically.
More complex (and therefore more expensive) e-commerce packages will do
database management, figure international exchange rates, etc. If you are a
small business with under 200 products, and you do your business in the USA,
then the lesser priced package is all you will likely need. Many small
businesses find "third party ecommerce solutions" the ideal route to take.
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Q 8.
How much will a web site cost?
You should
expect a hosting service to charge a minimum of $120 per year; your domain
name will be at least $20 per year; and your design fees will depend on the
extent of your web site requirements.
A simple three to five web page site can be as little as $500 (this is
not a yearly charge, rather, is a one time charge only), whereas a more
complex web site would be priced accordingly. The key is to consider what
you want your web site to do for your organization, and realistically
determine how much you can budget over a 12 month period. Most importantly,
whenever you consider pricing always remember two things:
- We all know that in the professional world, first impressions
matter. This is especially true on the World Wide Web, where many of
your visitors may never meet you in person. As your "window to the
world," the better your web site looks, the better you will look. A
professional looking site will enhance your professional credibility...
it's that simple. We only design sites we can be proud of, and invite
you to visit our client portfolio to see the level of
quality brought to each project.
- You can always expand your site as the need arises. It is
much better to start off with a really strong looking smaller site which
can be expanded gradually, then allocate any additional money in your
budget for adequate site promotion. We design all our sites to be
scalable... as you grow, your web site will grow with you.
We see it as
our job to work within your budget. W4 Designs has an entire page of
detailed
pricing for your review.
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Q 9.
How long does it take to get a new web site online?
Again, this
depends on how extensive your web site is, and also on how quickly the
necessary content materials can be gathered. We will guide you through the
process of assembling your text and graphics, then will construct your site
based on what you provide. The quicker we receive your packet of graphics
and text materials, the quicker we can begin the design process.
Generally speaking, you should realistically expect a mid-sized site to take
approximately a month to get online once we receive these materials from
you. We will give you a pretty accurate completion date once we have the
chance to review everything you send.
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Q 10.
How widely used is the Internet right now?
It is
everywhere...
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Q 11.
We have scanning equipment, so can we do our own graphic scans?
You are
certainly welcomed to save some money by doing your own scanning. However,
it is essential that this scanning be done correctly for the web,
otherwise, your efforts will not be usable. Please see our brief scanning
for the web tutorial for more details.
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Q 12.
Should we have our own domain name?
There are two
primarily reasons why it is a good idea to secure your own domain, ie:
http://www.yourname.com/
First, with your own domain name you can switch Internet Service
Providers (ISP's) at will and still retain the same unique Internet web site
address (URL) and email address you use in all your literature and
advertising. Secondly, it is easier for customers and clients to remember
your URL if the spelling of your domain name refers in some way to your
organization.
The only requirement to having your own domain
name is that it be hosted, usually at a cost of
$15 per month. If you prefer, we can make all arrangements for you
in finding a dependable ISP (either in your own locale or outside that area)
and then registering the domain name with InterNIC.
A perfectly workable alternative is to have your organization's web site
hosted at W4 Designs Web Development. In this case, your unique URL would be
http://www.w4design.com/yourname/
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Q 13.
Our company is not located in your state.... will that be a problem?
Absolutely
not. Most of the web site design work we do are for organizations located
outside of our hometown and some outside of Georgia. The Internet is without boundaries, and therefore you
can have your site designed by us in Georgia, have it
hosted in another part of the country (or anywhere else on earth, for that
matter), and access it locally in your area. It's a new world, and on the
WWW, distance disappears.
Your criteria can therefore be focused on price, quality, and customer
service - three reasons why W4 Designs is repeatedly chosen by companies
outside of Macon, Georgia who want a distinctive and successful web presence that stays
within their budget.
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