After talking with hundreds of prospective and current clients, we started noticing the same questions again and again. So, we decided to add a Frequently Asked Questions section to our website. If you have a question that isn't listed and answered on here, please feel free to ask us and we'll be very happy to give you an answer.
What can a website do for me? Do I need a website?
I want to establish a strong presence on the Web, but where do I start?
I have some products to sell online. Can you help me do that?
How many pages can I have on my web site?
What would you need to get the website done?
How long does it normally take to build and host a web site?
How much does a website cost?
Do I need to buy a domain name and hosting?
How can I pay you?
Once my website design is completed, what after-sales services do you offer?
Do I have to keep my website with you forever, or can I move it to another supplier to host it if I wish?
How do I update my website?
How frequently do I need to update my website?
Can I see how many visitors I've had to my website?
Do I need to install any software on my computer?
What does website usability mean?
Do I get an email account with my website?
Do you redesign existing websites? If I already have a site, can you help me improve it?
Will I find my website on the search engines?
Can you get my site to the top of the Google listings?
What happens if you go out of business?
What can a website do for me? Do I need a website?
A: If you have started thinking about whether or not to have a website, you are going in the right direction. Yes, you do need a website. It's time to expand your business beyond traditional boundaries. The first step is to analyze how an investment in a website will benefit you. Everyone in business wants to grow and after going through the benefits mentioned below, I am sure you would say it’s the only and fastest path leading towards success.
Websites provide you the capability to sell products or offer services anywhere. Also, you can do business 24/7 – 365 days a year because with a website you won't actually have to be there to explain your business.
Websites bridge the gap in terms of exposure equality. For example, if you are a newly established software company trying to compete with Microsoft for example, there is no chance of survival against a giant like Microsoft if you do not have a website. With a website, you can reach the same number of potential customers as Microsoft. You can also provide after sales support and answer customers around the clock.
A website contributes greatly to your company image and credibility. You have limitless options for presenting your business to everyone in a powerful, creative and unique manner. A website reduces direct costs, operational cost, marketing costs, and maintenance costs. Being able to offer your services around the world is something everyone dreams of and at such a low investment when compared to other forms of advertising.
Q: I want to establish a strong presence on the Web, but where do I start?
A: There are a couple of steps to effectively getting your business on the web and they are to:
Register a domain name - A domain is a unique address which helps people to locate you on the internet. You can get a domain name which matches your company name with a .com, .org, and/or .net extension. The most widely used extension is .com. See our blog articles for tips on choosing a domain name.
Have your website designed and developed by professionals - Perhaps you know a friend who can do your website for free. If your friend is a professional then congratulations! You’ve lucked out, but more than likely, your friend won't be. Think about it this way. Let's say you need heart surgery or you'll die. Would you go up to just any Joe Shmoe or Jenny Shmoe and ask him or her to operate on your heart for free? Pardon my French, but hell no, you wouldn't! The same goes with website development.
Find yourself a web hosting company - A web hosting company is like your space that you lease for your business except it's on the web. This is where all of your website files go. Once your website is ready, you can upload it on the internet for everybody to see.
Market your website - Just having a website doesn't mean millions of people are going to be beating a path to your door. Just like anything else worthwhile, getting a website to where it generates substantial business for you takes time and energy. You'll need to market your website online as well as offline.
Q: I have some products to sell online. Can you help me do that?
Unfortunately, we're not offering any shopping cart solutions anymore.
Q: How many pages can I have on my web site?
You can have as many pages as you want. Some of the main pages you'll want on your site are: Home, About Us, Products or Services, Contact Us, FAQ. In addition to these main pages, you'll want some complimentary pages as well to enhance and expand on your main pages. For example, you may want to add a testimonial page or a page to describe a service in depth.
Q: What would you need to get the website done?
Any business material that can help us better review your business and requirements. This should include logos, photographs, videos, text, brochures, business cards, etc. We also need to know what you want to do with your website. If you are running a business, you need to involve as much as possible about your product or service so we can have a clear understanding of your business.
When you want to build a house you need a blueprint. For us to build a website, we need as much information as we can get our hands on. These requirements help to better understand your purpose and goal you want to achieve. Less information can cause problems with timely delivery and a satisfied result.
Q: How long does it normally take to build and host a web site?
How long is a piece a string? It depends. You may come across time lines ranging from 2 working days to 12 weeks to 1 year. Factors affecting time can be website size, design complexity and programming requirements. Client response time to inquiries pertaining to the website can have an effect on the ETA of a website. Clients should respond to a website development company’s request within 24 hours or less and vice versa. Be sure to have a clear understanding of what you would like for your website to do and have. Be specific. Having a clear concrete specification for your website will allow us to determine a website's completion time. Any last minute changes can cause delays in the completion of your website.
Q: How much does a website cost?
This is the $64,000 question, but your website won't cost you that much! Are you ready for the answer? Well, here it is. It depends. How many pages do you want to have? What type of special features would you like to have other than text, images, and links? These factors affect the pricing. Our prices start out at $1500 for a five page website.
Q: Do I need to buy a domain name and hosting?
Yes, the domain name cost is an annual fee and hosting is billed monthly or yearly depending on the company.
Q: How can I pay you?
We accept check, cash, money orders, and credit cards.
Q: Once my website design is completed, what after-sales services do you offer?
We believe in establishing relationships and continually helping people. We do not just want to go our separate ways after completing the task. We provide a full range of after sale services including website maintenance and copywriting just to name a few. You can give us a call or send us an email, and we will get right back to you within 24 hours with the exception of Sunday. Of course, if you have an emergency, we'll be glad to help on Sunday as well.
Q: Do I have to keep my website with you forever, or can I move it to another supplier to host it if I wish?
We'd like for this to be the case, but no, once a website is completed and uploaded, you become the owner of all the material and you are free to take it wherever you'd like.
Q: How do I update my website?
A: We have maintenance plans available. If you want to do it yourself, you can purchase a copy of Adobe Contribute. This software will allow you to make updates to your website without the knowledge of HTML, the language used to code websites. Adobe Contribute can be purchased for around $200-$250.
Q: How frequently do I need to update my website?
A: This depends on the kind of business you are running. If your information changes on a daily basis you probably want the viewers to be on the same page by making modifications. If it is only an informational site that provides awareness about products, business brochures or services, twice a year will be fine for refreshing it a bit.
Having fresh content is important in terms of ranking on search engines if you are depending on search engines for business. You can have a latest or breaking news page on your website that needs modification every hour. You may be selling products which should be on your website as soon as possible. You can talk to us any time for valuable suggestions.
Q: Can I see how many visitors I've had on my website?
A: Yes, there are many web tracking softwares which keep track of how many visitors are coming to your website. This software can tell you which search engine was used, what phrases were typed in and what pages were viewed on your website. Most hosting companies should come with some kind of web analytics software. If not, Google Analytics can be installed.
Q: Do I need to install any software on my computer?
A: No, you only need a computer with an internet connection. Websites can be viewed using any browser currently available. The size does depend on the screen resolutions the user has.
Q: What does website usability mean?
A: It means the ease with which users can perform the tasks associated with your web site. Think of it as the quality of a user's experience when interacting with a product or system. When we're developing a website, we try to keep things simple for your clients or prospects. If we keep it simple for them, then they'll be more inclined to navigate to the pages that you would like them to go to . Simple does not mean low quality, it means doing all that is possible to make it more easier for use.
Q: Do I get an email account with my website?
A: Yes, your hosting company will give you the ability to set up email addresses under your own domain name.
Q: Do you redesign existing websites? If I already have a site, can you help me improve it?
A: Yes, we are always eager to discuss new ideas with you. Giving a new look to your website can differentiate you from others. We can help you improve your existing website in a way that will make readers surprised to see the new face of your business. Every couple of years, you should give your website a facelift to keep up the latest design styles and technologies.
Q: Will I find my website on the search engines?
A: Yes, your website will eventually be indexed by search engines. One way to speed this process up is to submit it to search engines as well as directories. Beware of link farms which will get your website banned on search engines.
Q: Can you get my site to the top of the Google listings?
A: Your site could possibly pop up to the top of Google and other search engines if we design it, but we want to let you know that we are not a search engine optimization company. That's not our forte. However, if you do hire an SEO company, they'll find our websites very easy to work with because of the coding standards.
Q: What happens if you go out of business?
A: That won't happen, but if you're skeptical of us kicking the bucket, we have an exit strategy and our clients are included in it. When you get your site developed by us, you'll receive two backup copies of your website in the form of CD's or DVD's. If we happen to go out of business, you can just keep your website with your current web hosting company or your can migrate your website to another web hosting company of your choice. If you happen to update your website on a regular basis, you may want to consider setting up a maintenance plan with us.
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