CUSTOM WEB DESIGN - FAQS

If you have never had a business website here is a place to find answers. Visit my blog for more answers. For those taking this step for the first time visit this special blog entry: Your Custom Website.

Why do I need a website?
Today every business needs a custom website. Search engines are far easier to help locate businesses and services. It has turned become a "have to", now. No business can be without a website. Particularly any one under 30 will never use a phone book.

An online brochure is not only cost saving, but far easier to update and faster to deliver to a potential client. You can advertise far more about yourself than possible in old yellow page ads. It gives you a voice. It's important in your website to make each visitor feel you are speaking to them, personally. Therefore I spend time getting to understand your business practices and get your voice into the website.

Another cost saver is adding PDFs of any common forms you use. This saves time faxing and any printing/mailing costs - with no delay in getting your business forms to your customers.
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Why not let my daughter/friend design my website?

It once was an option, but web design is no longer a hobby. It's tempting to have a friend or relative create your web design - for little or no money. With Search Engine Optimization being crucial to your website there is much to know in website structure, page names and page content to not use a professional. Areas to consider:

I am committed to making my clients happy, not only with the end resulting website, but the process of creating the website. I know the time and care it takes to achieve this goal. I work until the client is happy, no matter how many times we alter something in the web design. That's part of the process to excellence for each custom designed website. Visit my blog for some of the ongoing changes.
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How do I choose my website name/domain name?
If your business name is your branding – stick with it. But if you are looking to gain internet traffic you might consider a 2 step approach. Many of my web clients use their business name as their website domain (aka URL) to be spoken – given over the phone. The second domain name they choose is their “real” website name containing a keyword for their business. Ex. Your business name is “Cute Name, Inc.” and you sell clocks. Buy 2 domains (if available): www.cutename.com and www.clocks.com

When someone types CuteName.com in the browser address bar it is redirected to Clocks.com seamlessly. Unless you are watching the address bar, you won’t be aware of the redirect. Read more on Brenda's blog entry: Secure Your Domain Name.
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.COM vs .NET and so on…
No matter how often we’re told CuteName.NET – we type in the browser address bar CuteName.COM. Not a big deal if you arrive at a site you KNOW is not the one you wanted. But if it is your competitor’s site and the visitor is a potential new client – you have much to lose. It’s also better to keep your name significantly different than your competition. It is trickier these days, with so many online, but worth giving this some thought. This is your online business. You can also purchase any available extensions if you are aggressively protecting “your domain”, and leave those parked, or add a redirect to your dot COM. Read more on Brenda's blog entry: Secure Your Domain Name.
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Why a Custom Website?
Template websites offer the cheapest website. A custom web design streamlines every piece to be visually pleasing, make navigation natural, easy and useful for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and add the code (hidden) to aid search engines to understand what your site is about. Images need to be optimized to avoid slow loading pages - no one waits much beyond 3 seconds for a page to load. The entire structure of the website must work together to maximize SEO. This means the hidden code supports the content on the pages. A website without all these elements working together will not produce the results you are seeking. I include SEO with each custom web design.
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A Verizon rep told me their websites are stronger on the web. Is this true?
All websites are "parked" on a computer (called servers) somewhere and all are connected. It makes no difference where the website sets. No one is "stronger" than the other. All are equal as far as connectivity.

The issues to watch for with web hosting (where you are parking) are pricing and support. While you can pay little for web hosting you do need a certain level of service, and these are individually determined. This IS your business buying the cheapest web hosting is not a good idea. There is a "base" level everyone needs and it isn't complicated to determine. As your site grows you can add services. My goal is to find your needs and not pay for more than you need. E-commerce sites have certain requirements for secure transaction processing. Once you move beyond PayPal there are minimum requirements which add cost to your e-commerce site.
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Can I hire you though I don't live near you?

My clients live in California, Arizona, Wisconsin, New Jersey and New York. Email and phone makes this simple. As I build each website my client and I view it together on a private site and chat by phone. This is the process whether you are local or across country.

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How long does it take to complete my website?

The home page of any website is the keystone. We work together to achieve this. Once that is decided and approved by you and I have all the content from you (images and copy) the site takes approximately 30 days for a 10 page site. I have completed websites in as little as 14 days. If speed is important let me know in the beginning.

I will upload to a private site which you access and view your site as it develops.
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Can I have just a one page website?
The problem with one web page is little for search engines to index. Google indexes websites by eating up content (text) and understanding your business so it can in turn let people searching FIND your business. One page just isn't enough to do that. Google is all about "content". Unless you aggressively want to use Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads you need to "spread out" a bit. Even then you would need to be sure nothing beyond one page was needed once visitors arrived at your site.

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What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search engines (Google, Bing & Yahoo) use 'robots' to cull keywords from websites to return them in a search. These tags are 'code' not visible on the web page, but need to be researched, well thought out and properly coded throughout your website to work with your page content/copy and even the structure of the website itself,
all to aid search engines. In tandem with keywords in the code - the copy needs to reflect these same keywords. Spamming (over-using keywords) will get your website banned. The balance must be found to teach Google and make your site readable to visitors.
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Web design usually does not include SEO (search engine optimization). Read more at wikipedia. But it is crucial to the success of each business website and that is why I include it in every website design, large or small.
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What is browser compatibility?
A website has to be viewable on a multitude of configurations from PCs to Macs and an array of browsers. Out of date browsers present the biggest challenge. If your clientele might be using an older browser it is important to be sure they can see your website. Internet Explorer and Safari, on a Mac, can vary greatly in displaying your website. Also user preferences can change how the web design is displayed.
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What are reciprocal links?
Linking within your website, out of your website and TO your website continue to be a way of ranking your website for Google. Getting other websites to point/link to your site has great value. Blogging and tweeting can be a part of this. It is ongoing and time consuming, but worth it. It is something you can do to drive your site.

As a service to my clients I will do this linking and request for reciprocal links where the client has set up a links page (for this very purpose) for a reduced rate of $30.00/hour.
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What are your fees?

Please visit:

CUTSOM WEBSITE PRICING
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Why should I refresh or re-do my website?

A website which remains unchanged moves down in it's rankings. Content which changes daily (blogs) ranks highest, so leaving a website unchanged for years is not a good idea. Add to that: The Internet changes and things which were once the trend are replaced with better ways. New browsers offer a much richer web experience through styling.

I will evaluate your current website for no fee. I will list suggestions and improvements. My concerns are download times, graphic image sizes, optimization for search engines, ease of navigating through your site and, of course the design layout, both visual and functionality.

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How do we start?

Email or phone me.
Find websites you do like. Collect the logo, photos and content for your site and list any ideas you have.
I strive to make this simple for you and fun to watch grow.
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I don't have a logo.
I can create a custom logo for your business.
For more information visit my Graphic Design page.
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Once I have my website up and running, now what?
There are a lot of things you can do to drive your website.
Visit my blog, as this is a constantly changing and updated area.