Some Free Advice

Are you paying too much for your website?

HOSTING...
In the old days, you paid a lot for your space because not a lot of people were buying space. If you are paying 15, 20, 25, 40 dollars per month for hosting you are probably paying too much. Depending on how much space and the services you need, you can get very affordable and very reliable hosting for 10.00 or less per month. You should consult with your web designer to see if you are paying more than you need to for something you can either do yourself or do not need to do at all.

Some companies still charge these larger fees, not because they have to but because they can.

SITE DESIGN...
This is a loaded question really. Remember that you get what you pay for, unless you are paying someone a lot for something they do not have the skills to deliver.

If having a website created seems to be expensive ($600.00, $1000.00, $1500.00), keep in mind that placing fairly good size ads in the paper will cost you an easy grand per month. If you are willing to pay that on a monthly basis for a black and white ad, you should be willing to pay the same thing for a years worth of a color and multipage experience that really showcases your products and services in a dynamic and user friendly method.

If you are not already doing so, remember to use your existing advertising to drive people to your website for more information. You can then turn your single ad into a much larger interactive experience by simply adding the line, "For more information, see our website at www.oursite.com".

Top Web Mistakes Made by Business Owners

Allowing the site to be designed by a person who does not know what they're doing...
There is no diplomatic way to put this. There are people out there who claim to be web designers who do not understand the full scope of what internet marketing is or what good design is. Just because someone has a stethoscope does not mean they are a Doctor. In the same respect, just because someone has a copy of Front Page, Dreamweaver or some other editor, does not make them a Web Designer.

In many cases, your web site will be the first experience someone has with your business or organization. First impressions matter. Today's internet not only demands an understanding of technology, but also of business, art, marketing and human psychology to create effective experiences.

Expecting the web designer to teach you web design...
Lets face it, this is business. If your web designer teaches you web design, you become the competition. You wouldn't give away your trade secrets to your clients so please don't expect your designer to give away theirs.

Hosting your site with Angelfire/ Tripod/ Geocities/ other free service...
Free services like this are fine for posting pictures of your trip to Mundane Falls or posting your favorite jokes. But if you want your business or organization to have credibility, avoid these services. Nothing annoys your customers more than a bunch of pop ups and flashing banners trying to sell them trips to Mundane Falls, Free Screen savers or magical pills that will melt away the pounds.

Real hosting companies provide you with a host of extras and necessities that will allow your site to function at peak performance. You will get your own domain name and email address "Branded" to your business image. In most cases, if you shop around or have your designer shop around, you will find great, feature rich hosting options at low prices of 5-10 dollars a month.

Expecting a $5,000 site for $300...
In many cases most qualified designers have years of experience in a variety of areas ranging from Graphic Design to Technology to Business and Advertising. These are skills that can not be taught in a short period of time. The skills good designers have are rare and specialized and have value associated with them. If everyone could build great web sites, then everyone would be doing it.

They say you get what you pay for. I don't want to put too much emphasis on that statement because in this business, you may pay too much to someone who simply, has copies of the the programs to make web sites without the skills and knowledge to build web sites that work for you not against you.

If you want to drive home in a brand new Jaguar, don't bring a cashier's check for a used Pinto.

Not keeping your web site up to date...
Many people assume they will be able to maintain their sites themselves once the designers have created them. They under estimate the time and effort necessary to stay on top of things and keep the site current. If you are going to buy a web site that has news, event listings or any other timely content, be sure to change it often. If you can not find the time in your already busy schedule to keep up your site, ask your designer about any maintenance contracts they may have available to keep your site current or... remove any time sensitive content.

Failure to market your web site...
You can have the world's greatest and coolest web site but if nobody knows it's there, what's the point? Web sites do not automatically mean you will have visitors and sales generated from it. You will need to use your site in conjunction with your other marketing to increase the effectiveness of what you are already doing. Many times I am asked by a client what it takes to get their site to the top of the search engine results. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you can make that happen.

Today's search engines are much more sophisticated than they were a few years ago and they look for a variety of things that can drive your site to the top. Unfortunately these things can change and what works today, may not work next week. While there are many tricks that can be used, you should not rely on search engines to drive people to your site. Find other methods that may be used. Your designer may have suggestions that will work for you business and may be able to help you create a total marketing campaign.

Over-reliance on graphics...
Too much of a good thing, isn't a good thing. Your site should be designed for your users. If your users live in rural areas, they will most likely be using dial up connections and will not be able to download graphic intensive content. Remember that while imagery is important, it is your content that is the reason your users have come to your site. Your graphics should provide a place for your content to reside. graphics should not become the content (unless your product is graphics that is...)

Not making it easy for people to contact you from your site (and not following up when they do)...
I would assume that you will want your customers to take advantage of your products of services. While they may be able to find your web site on the internet, you need to remember to provide them a way to find you back in the real world. Make sure you have provided contact information for them to get with you for more information. Phone numbers, email, addresses etc. Be sure to get back with them when they do inquire, even if you can not help them, at least let them know you care. Customer service, even if you are not going to make the sale can lead to referrals and great word of mouth.

Annoying The Visitor...
Cursor trails, midi files, pop ups, counters, complicated login or signup forms, long loading pages. People really really really hate these. People come to your web site to get information, not be "wowed" by how much technology your web designer knows. Today's users are onto you if you do this... they will go away and not come back.

F.A.Q.s

HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST ME?
Typically, an average website costs about the same as one or two months of average newspaper advertising, yet it can last a whole year. The price of your website is difficult to determine without first talking with you about your needs and desires.

During your free consultation, we will assess your needs by asking you questions about you, your business and what you would like your site to do for you. After we do some initial planning and research based on our conversation with you, we will send you a quote along with a list of details about your project.

WHAT KIND OF PAYMENT PLANS ARE AVAILABLE?
We are very flexible with payment plans. We can set up payment plans you can pay the whole balance upon completion of the project.

I ALREADY HAVE A WEBSITE. WHY DO I NEED TO REDO IT?
You change your inventory displays around to keep your store looking fresh. Your website is no exception. You want to give your customers a reason to keep coming back and changing the content or look of your site can help drive customers to your site and ultimately to your storefront. In some cases, there may be some design elements that are keeping your site from effectively communicating your ideas and information to your customers. We can evaluate your entire site and offer suggestions to build your on-line presence.

I HAD A WEBSITE BEFORE AND IT DIDN'T DO A THING FOR MY BUSINESS. WHY SHOULD I GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY?
In the early days of the world wide web, everyone was tying everything to see what worked. There were a lot of mistakes made and a lot of websites just died a painful death in cyberspace. Now, there are new technologies, new rules and expectations that allow you to reach out to a new audience of users and potential customers.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GET MY WEBSITE UP & RUNNING?
From initial consultation to completion of your site could take anywhere from a few days to several months depending on how ambitious you want to be with your on-line presence. We work quickly, but also want to make sure the product you get accurately represents your business and your vision of what you expect out of your site.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF GETTING MY SITE PRODUCED?
We will begin with a free consultation to determine the needs and scope of your website. We will then meet in our office and discuss the initial interview we had with you and "brainstorm" a few ideas.

We will then give you a quote along with a detailed explanation of the project. After reviewing the quote, we will meet with you to discuss the project and clarify anything about the project you are unclear on. Once we have all agreed on a course of action, we will begin the project. We will complete about 80-90% of the project before showing it to you. This will give you a better idea of how the site will work.

We will then make modifications and revisions based on your initial feedback. Once the site is ready. We will let you see it and also do some user testing with a variety of individuals to determine the usability of your site. We may or may not then make a few more revisions before posting the site and registering the URL.

We will take care of all the domain name registration and purchasing of hosting space for you as part of the project. The cost of arranging hosting and the securing a domain name will be included in the initial quote.

CAN I UPDATE MY WEBSITE MYSELF OR DO I NEED TO HIRE BIG i-MEDIA TO DO IT FOR ME?
We specialize in Content Management Systems that allow you to easily update your own website whenever you want. There is no additional charge for this and we will train you as part of the package.

You may find however, that updating the site yourself takes up more time than you originally thought. Simple updates such as changing catalog items, photos, and news and events listing can be done by you. If you require new pages and major changes to your site, we can offer you a maintenance plan on a regular basis.

WHAT KIND OF SERVICES CAN I PROVIDE ON MY WEBSITE?
Don't think about what is possible based on the technology available. Think about what you would like to do if you could do anything with your site.

Some examples may be:

• Providing 24/7 customer support.
• Answers to frequently asked questions.
• Newsletters.
• Events calendars.
• User forums.
• Members only sections.
• Coupons
• Shopping Carts
• Payment Gateways
• Product Listings
• Downloadable information and product

I ALREADY DO A LOT OF ADVERTISING. HOW CAN A WEBSITE HELP MY BUSINESS?
Having a website will have a variety of benefits to your company. These may include:

• Make your existing advertising more effective by providing additional information not available in print, radio or T.V. alone.
• Give directions to your business.
• Give your business a professional image by putting your website on all your marketing.
• Get a jump on your competitors.
• Online surveys.
• Generate interested customer lists for mailings.
• Communicate with your customers via your own email account ( me@mybusiness.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

I DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER AT HOME OR AT MY BUSINESS. DON'T I NEED ONE BEFORE I HAVE A WEBSITE?
No, you do not need a computer to have a website. Your site will be stored (hosted) on another computer owned by a company that specializes in providing hosting space for websites. If you need regular updates for your site, we can set up a maintenance agreement that best serves your needs.

HOW CAN I MAKE SURE MY WEBSITE SHOWS UP AT THE TOP OF SEARCH ENGINE LISTINGS?
There is no guarantee that your site will show up in the listings or at the top. There are many ways to design your site so the chances of it showing up are very good. We can discuss with additional options that allow for listings on or near the top of many pages.

More Questions? Contact us for answers.