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- Why do I need a domain name?
- What is web hosting?
- Where do I start when planning a web site?
- Does my web site need to be secure?
- Does my web site need a shopping cart?
- Do I need a database for my web site?
- How do I know if I need "custom" graphics?
- Can you redesign my existing web site?
- What kinds of programs and scripts can I have on my site?
- How do I maintain my web site after it is finished?
- Will you submit my site to the search engines?
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1. Why do I need a domain name?
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A domain name is like your web site's street address. By purchasing your own domain name
you get a unique address that is easy for your visitors to remember. You must have your own hosting
account to use your own domain name.
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2. What is web hosting?
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Web hosting is like the lot of land your web site sits on. You can use
free hosting services (like Geocities, Homestead and many others), but you will not have the ability to add many useful
applications to your site. Having your own hosting account ensures that you can build your site without any
one else's restrictions. You must have a domain name for your hosting account.
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3. Where do I start when planning a web site?
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This is a very common question. When planning a web site, there are many different decisions that need to be made.
What will it look like? What do you want your site to do? Do you need e-commerce solutions or scripts installed?
We have created a "Web Design Checklist" to help you through the process. It will let you know what questions to ask, help you
decide on a look for your site, help you determine the level of e-commerce you might need and much more. Just
visit this page and print it out.
It's free and you can use it even if you don't choose us to design your site!
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4. Does my web site need to be secure?
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If you are adding e-commerce, a database, or even a simple order form, your web site might have to be secure to
ensure that your visitors will choose to use their personal information on your web site. Contact us and we will discuss
all of the various details you need to know about providing a secure environment for your customers.
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5. Does my web site need a shopping cart?
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Not every web site that sells products or services will need a shopping cart. If you have many products or services
with set prices, a shopping cart should be the way to go. If only one or two products or services are being sold or your
price is different with each client, then you may not need one. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.
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6. Do I need a database for my web site?
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If you are planning on collecting information from your visitors, then chances are you will need some sort of database. Don't let
that worry you, though. It is not always as expensive as you might think.
There are all kinds of databases. Some have already
been created by software authors and just need to be purchased and installed. This is usually an affordable alternative to hiring a
programmer. The fall back is that sometimes you can't find the exact database you need. Then that when we
call in a programmer to "tweak" it a little bit. Also an affordable choice.
Many times though, if your services are very unique, there is
just no alternative to a custom scripted database created by a professional programmer. It is also extremely important that you know exactly how
you want your database to work and how many members you expect to use it. Knowing these things up front and telling your programmer
can save you tons of time and money later, especially if you can't afford all of the neat features you have in mind right away. Many times a programmer
can build you a less expensive, basic database and you can modify it as your business grows.
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7. How do I know if I need "custom"graphics?
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Many times it can be appropriate to use some of the widely available, free clip art on your web site. But, if your web site is selling anything, anything at all, it
can be very difficult to find royalty free clip art that you are allowed to use. We have several memberships with some of the leading royalty free clip art providers on
the net and can sometimes find an image that can be used for your purposes in the millions of images we have permission to use when designing your site.
Sometimes that is just not enough though. If you need a logo, advertising banners, HTML Emails, unique web borders, headers and buttons you are
probably going to need to get custom work done. Using custom graphics on your web site will not only set you apart from the rest, but it will also ensure that
you get the exact look and feel for your projects that you desire.
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8. Can you redesign my existing web site?
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No problem. We have done this many times in the past and will always be happy to do it again. Please contact us for a free quote.
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9. What kinds of applications and scripts can I have on my site?
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The sky is the limit! If they make it to put on a web site...then we can put it on there! Message boards, chat rooms, banner rotators,
password scripts, upload scripts, download scripts...whatever! You may have a script you want installed or you may need us to find
one for you. Many of the simple ones can be found on the web for free! Of course, if you have something really unique in mind, we can
always get you in touch with our programmers and have them design it to your exact specifications.
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10. How do I maintain my web site after it is finished?
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If you require maintenance on your web site, we can make your
updates for a standard
maintenance fee of $20 per hour. If your updates are extensive, we may treat it like a new project and offer you a quote. Either way, you are not left
out there in the dark to handle this on your own. We will always be there to support you and your web endeavors.
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11. Will you submit my site to the search engines?
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Unfortunately we can no longer provide this service to our clients. Sure we could do a quickie automatic submission thing and charge a lot of money like
many other design companies do, but we just don't want to operate that way. If we can't provide the best services possible, we won't provide it at all. We tried
to offer custom hand submission and site optimization and found that to get even medicore listings on the major search engines takes LOT of work.
It can sometimes be a full-time job in itself. We now realize that this is a service best provided by a company that specializes in this field.
So how do you get your site listed? You have two options:
- Do it yourself! - There is so much information on the internet about search engine submission that you could learn to do it yourself with some research. Visit sites like
Jim World, or similar to learn all the ins and outs. This is what we recommend if you have the time.
- Hire a professional. - There are many professionals out there who specialize in search engine submission. Do a little research and hire the one that you
feel can offer you the best deal. Be wary of sites that promise "First Page" ranking on the major search engines, but they do it for $20!! This is not really possible.
If you want first page listings and you want to stay there, then you need a professional who will pay individual attention to your site . Many search engines
will change their criteria often in an attempt thwart spammers. The company who is responsible for submitting your site, should be familiar with
this obstacle and be able to keep up with the changes.
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