Some Things to Consider with your Website 

• Some Things to Consider
  
  
• What do I need to get my web site started?
  
  
• What should I expect from my designer?
  
  
• What should I get with a Website Development?
  
  
• How do I get my Website recognized on the internet?
  
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  What other Special Features could I consider for my Website?
  
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  Sample Websites & Features

• Your Website Should be Custom, Unique and Original, Something that Stands out from your Competitors.
   

• Don't be Too Wordy with too much Text and Content. Get to the Point.
  

• Stay away from the "gimmicks" and flashy "video" or "sound" tricks on your website - this can detract from your message.
  

• Customers should Immediately Find what they are looking for. Use Bullets or Outlines to Make your Points.  They are Easier to Read and Follow.
   

• Your site should have a lot of "Call to Actions" (reasons for customer to Buy, Call or give you their Name and Phone Number).
   

• Once your Website is live, consider how you will Drive Customers to it. (Search Engines, Articles, Advertising, yellow page listing, etc.)

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 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 one of many host providers.  This can be arranged by your web site designer.

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.

• Also 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 thousand's of internet search engines, and must be keep up to date 9resubmitted) 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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's 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]

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.  

• We 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.