What do I need to get my web site started?                                             

• Consider getting your own "domain name", such as "yourname.com".  This will give your site presence and it's own ownership and feel.  Domain name registration is not expensive, and can all be arranged by your web site designer.  

• You'll need a web "hosting" service.  This is the 'space' that your web site occupies on the internet, and is facilitated by a web server or one of many host providers.  This can be arranged by your web site designer.

• Consider the content that you want to display, the information to be presented, the message to give your visitors, or the products that you wan to sell.

• Also consider some of the Special Features that you may need (such as unique graphics, on-line secure storefront to sell products or memberships or accept donations, 'SSL' secure domain listing, if you are exchanging viewers personal information, on-line discussion forum).

• That's all you really need....your Web Designer can give you many other ideas and suggestions...but it's easy to get started.  Just select your professional Web Designer, and be sure to get a cost estimate of what you're looking for.

 

What should I expect from my Designer?

• There are so many designers out there it is hard to know just how to choose one. It is important to be sure that you and your designer can work well together and that you feel comfortable discussing your website with him/her. Some designers can be very set in their ways and won’t listen to your desires, be sure that your web designer is happy to listen to your ideas and values your input. Make sure that any suggestions your designer gives you that stray from your original plan is backed by good reason and that he/she is happy to listen to your concerns and willing to take the time to explain the design process to you. It helps if your web designer "has been there" himself, running a business, relying on a good website design himself.

• Be sure that your designer also has the ability, if you desire it, to obtain a hosting service for your web site, and can obtain the domain name (www.yoursite.com) registration for your new site.  If desired, these registrations are important so that your new site, names, content, etc. is properly protected.  Your designer should also be able to set up your  email addresses, if desired, and email forwarding through a full-scope administration of your new web site.

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is very important for today's web sites. Be sure that your designer has the capability to provide formal submission of your website to all major search engines.  Your new website presence can/should be submitted to all of the major internet search engines plus the hundreds of secondary search engines - and must be keep up to date (resubmitted) monthly - We have found this to me very helpful to give your site an easy-to-find presence for people to find on the internet, drawing the best attention to your business.

• Ask your designer to provide monthly web site viewing statistics that show you how many visitors, page views, and click-throughs, your site is getting.

• Be certain that your designer can/will provide an ongoing maintenance of your website, so that as your needs change, so does your site.

What should I get with a Website Development?

• Programming / Coding - All website development programming/coding to run any special features/visitor interactivity on your website is completed and tested.

• Website Pages - Based upon your contract and the final design you selected, we create as many static or dynamic pages as needed to complete your site.

• Website Navigation - Navigation links or drop down menus, and rollover effects, if desired, are completed.

• Site Map - Creation of a site map page is done which includes easy one-click access to all pages of your site.

• Site Content - Incorporation of your logo, photos and text content is included in all projects. Custom logo design is available for an additional fee, please inquire if interested.

• Professional graphic design features that present your website well.  A graphic Logo or website Header can make a big difference to the initial impressions of you visitors.

• Website Favicon - A favicon is a small image that displays in the address bar and on the favorites menu when someone bookmarks or adds your website to their "Favorites". Creation of a favicon is included in all custom website development projects.

• Response Forms / Email Contact Forms - We recommend at least one contact form for your visitor’s convenience. Using a contact form, a visitor can email you directly from your website without needing to open their email program. This is especially convenient if a visitor is not using their own computer when their email program is not available.

• Unique Email addresses - that reflect the professionalism of your dedicated website - example: 'yourname@yoursite.com'. (Using email addresses like 'myname@gmail.com' lack professionalism and can appear temporary to potential clients.)

What other Special Features could I consider for my Website?  

• Discussion Forum - Information based websites can really benefit from an on-line discussion forum.  Consider installing features that provide on-line discussions, posting articles and photos, real-time chat and support system for your visitors.  With such forums it is also important to ensure that your installation maintains high security features and logon controls.  [click here to see sample]

• On-Line web storefront - Sell products, memberships, donations, etc., through a storefront that accepts on-line credit card purchases, sends confirmation emails to buyers and notifications to your storemaster. Secure site protocols are important for these systems. [click here to see sample]

• Graphics - if unique graphic presentation is of interest to you, then your site should be able to present features such as 'click-explosion' or 'mouse-over' explosion.

• Photo Galleries - rotating photo viewers, expanding photo galleries, thumbnail 'contact' photo display pages, all can be attractive and informative additions to your website.

[click on the image to try the example]

How do I get my Website recognized on the internet?

• We recommend wide submittal of your website information to the many search engines and web crawlers throughout the internet.  

• Utilize SEO (search engine optimization) techniques, to ensure that the best search engines will always find your website pages, and that they will rank them highly.

• We can employ a major  "Search Engine Submittal Service", to submit your new website to over 3000 internet search engines, and keep this up to date monthly for you.  We have found this to me very helpful to give your site an easy-to-find presence for people to find on the internet, drawing the best attention to your business.

 

Examples of web developments                        Secure Storefront example   On-line Forum example
 

Contact Us

Email us  

Or, call Jim at: 519-622-3987

About Us

• SpecialfX has designed web sites and content for over 15 years. 

• We can look after your website from start to finish, from website updates and remodeling, to complete web design.  Our sites are designed to compliment your business with the custom and professional look you want.

• If you are a new business we can also help with professional graphic/logo design.

• We can look after getting your own domain name if you do not already have one - and we'll set up your account with a personalized email address (Example domain: www.yoursite.com; Example email: yourname@yoursite.com)
• We're happy to provide basic web design and hosting and experienced in providing special features that you may need (such as unique graphics, on-line secure storefront to sell products or memberships or accept donations, on-line discussion forum).
• We will make it easy for you by providing your "hosting" service (the 'space' that your web site occupies on the internet) as well as your web site design and registration)

• Our main objective is to give you a professional and easy to use website to meet today's internet demand.

• AND....we do all of this professionally, at extraordinarily economical cost.