Frequently Asked Questions
How much will my new website cost?
The first thing many people wonder is how much a website will cost, and unfortunately there is no straight answer or set going rate for website design. But having a really good idea of your goals for your new website, and what you would like to see on your new website will help your website designer determine an accurate estimate on cost.
In today’s online world, you can’t afford not to have a website.
Once upon a time the internet was used by a handful of 20 something’s for research and socializing, but not anymore. Today people of all generations use the internet as a research tool, to socialize, shop, bank, and plan everything from dinner to a wedding. If your business doesn’t have a web presence, then you’re missing out on business opportunities.
You get what you pay for!
Sure, there are plenty of ways to get a website for next to nothing, but in the world of websites, you get exactly what you pay for. As a business owner, a website for a few hundred dollars might seem like a worth-while investment. However, often these websites are template sites that thousands others also use and they have very limited options. You may not be able to determine the look and feel of the website, or include features that would be useful to your potential customers. These packaged websites can often be quirky and difficult to achieve the desired results, which could result in a waste of your valuable time and money, and worse, give your business a less than perfect image. It takes a long time to learn how to design and develop a clean, well functioning website. For most businesses, hiring a professional or team of professionals that has the expertise and skills to do the work is a worthwhile investment. A professional can guide you through the web design process, and offer suggestions on how to communicate effectively on your website which means your website work harder for you and your investment goes farther.
How long will my website take to build?
I would say about 80% of the clients that call us to make them a website, needed it yesterday. So a common question is, “how long will it take?” Of course there is no straight answer to this question, because every project scope is different. Projects can range from simple informational websites to complex web applications.
To get a good idea of how long your project will take, do your research and know exactly what you’d like to accomplish with your website. When you call to discuss your project with a project manager, having the details of your website documented will help determine a more accurate schedule to completion.
The most important member of the team assigned to finishing your website, is you!
Nobody knows your business and can envision your final website as good as you. You are the most important member of your website development team. Your project will run smoother and be closer to your vision if there is more input and communication during the initial planning stages. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you have the time to dedicate to your project. For most projects, clients will be involved in initial concept, copy writing, application flows, and sometimes entering content, or doing e-commerce set up such as entering products, pricing and shipping. In other words, if you want your website done in two weeks and you don’t have the time to get involved, it won’t get done. So plan on getting involved, and if you’re not sure how or what you should be doing, ask the project manager assigned to your website. Your project manager will be able to tell you what the next steps are and where your assistance is needed.
Do I need a Website Content Management System?
Eventually, you’re going to want to make changes to your website. There is a couple ways to do this. If you know HTML and are comfortable making the changes yourself, then you can make changes by accessing your site from a FTP server set up by your website host. If you’re not comfortable with making changes to the code yourself, and try it anyways, you could do more damage than good. So I caution you on this option. Otherwise you can call your website developer to make the changes for you. If you’re only going to be making a small change once or twice a year, this might be your best bet. However, if you need changes on a more frequent basis, calling your web developer to make the changes might add up quickly in cost, and, you’ll have to wait until your developer is available to make those changes.
I’m happy to report that there is another way. A Content Management System (CMS) will allow you to easily make changes to your website without having to know HTML. Basically the way most content management systems work is they allow you to login to your website as an administrator where you can make changes to the content on your site. Content is displayed in a simple editor window where you can change, delete and add copy, pictures, flash or documents.
If you’d like to discuss a CMS for your site and the various options available, give us a call, send an email, or chat online today!
