Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why Use Us?
2. What should we look for in a Website Development firm?
3. A lot of people have Web design skills now. Why shouldn't we use a graduate who has these skills?
4. How long would it take to build a site as detailed here?
5. What are the demographics of people using the Internet?
6. What is a 'host'?
7. Are they an ISP (Internet Service Provider)?
8. What's ecommerce?
9. What's a link?
10. What's a search engine?
11. Will the Internet continue to grow?
12. Is it important to get people to return to the site? If yes, how do you get them to return?
13. How do people find out about websites?
14. How do we let people know of the site?
15. Where do I start?

• Why Use Us?

We have the expertise and experience to ensure the trouble-free and effective management of your Website - from conception to ongoing management. The team is highly professional and committed to the highest standards. We identify the requirements of the site and develop an appropriate strategy to ensure these needs are met.

From expert designers to Internet marketers, we have the team to ensure the highest quality site at a very competitive rate. We know the pitfalls; we know the shortcuts. Use our team to cut through years of frustrating trial and error.

• What should we look for in a Website Development firm?

One of the major frustrations for clients occurs when they receive wildly varying quotes for Web design projects. One of the best ways to avoid this, and ensure the work is completed to the highest standards, is to specify accurately all aspects of the work to be completed.

The old cliché of comparing apples to apples rings true. Note down the exact specifications for the project, how many pages you require, how many forms, etc. Only by doing that will you ensure that everyone is quoting the same and only then can you really see who is the best value - without compromising on quality.

Having said that, we usually only establish the exact needs of our clients after several meetings and discussions. It can be very difficult for people inexperienced with the Internet to know exactly what can be done to best serve your specific needs. Beyond this, you need to consider various other factors.

These may include:

• Experience of the team.
• Expertise of the team.
• Past projects completed.
• Success of previous projects.
• References and testimonials.
• Equipment - does the designer have all the equipment necessary to complete all aspects of your project? This could include digital cameras, scanners and software.
• Specialist skills (i.e. Search Engine placement skills, 'Flash' programming experience).

A site completed by us is reviewed extensively for such critical issues as load time (how long does the site take to come up onto the screen?), browser compatibility (is the site displayed the same by different computers?), and navigational ease. Most of our sites are reviewed regularly by people with various levels of Internet usage skills. With these extensive skills and review, sites completed are of the highest quality.

We do find that this is one of the most common scenarios we are presented with. Our answer is that design skills are only a very small part of Website development. It is no good having an attractive site if it does not attract visitors.

The process we go through in designing a site is quite lengthy. First, there are meetings with the client to establish precisely what they want and need the site to do. Once the objectives of the site are clearly fixed, we research the target market and assess their requirements for such a site. We then identify issues such as load time, copy effectiveness, navigational ease, and the quality of product presentation and overall design success.

In close consultation with our clients, we then move on to complete the look and 'feel' of the site.
The copy is developed in cooperation with the client to ensure the site will rank as high as possible with the search engines.

Privacy commitments are then incorporated into the site (again, research shows that privacy is one of the biggest concerns for Internet users.)

The entire site is then reviewed via a complex process whereby a vast amount of technical information is gathered and assessed by our team.

Once the site passes a series of strict criteria, ranging from security issues, to navigational issues, to marketing issues, then the site is passed for hosting.

Clients are involved in the development of the site as much as possible, to ensure it meets the objectives set earlier and is a site of the highest standard.

• How long would it take to build a site as detailed here?

  Normally the site is completed within three weeks from receipt of the order. The time of completion quite often depends on the time it takes to develop graphics.

  Once the site is up and running, what do I have to do to maintain it?

  The site should receive an ongoing evaluation. Updating the site with fresh information will keep it interesting and make a user want to return to see what has changed. You can do this yourself, or we will be delighted to assist you.

• What are the demographics of people using the Internet?

  This varies greatly depending on what research you happen to review.

  Some data on Internet users:

  44% have income above $70,000
  65% of users are male
  Average age: 33

46% of adult males (3.0 million) and 36% of females (2.5 million) accessed the Internet in 1999 (this is an increase of 700,000 males and 600,000 females from 1998 figures).

The business community has the fastest uptake of the Internet of any group.

• What is a 'host'?

  This is the term given to the company that actually puts your Website into cyberspace. Think of the Website as a newspaper advertisement a copywriter has produced for you. You then need to place that advertisement into a newspaper for it to be effective—that's the same as your Website host.

  Like newspapers, there are some good hosts and some that could be a little better. The important aspects to know about your host are a) can they cope with the 'type' of site you have, b) will their system be able to cope with the number of visitors your site attracts, and c) do they provide back up service in case of problems?

• Are they an ISP (Internet Service Provider)?

  Sometimes, ISPs do host websites (the majority does). Others only host sites.

• What's ecommerce?

  Ecommerce is simply the term given to purchasing products or services over the Internet.

• What's a link?

  A (hyper)link is a bit of text on a Web Page that, when clicked on, takes you to another Web Page or Website.

• What's a search engine?

  A search engine is a computer that reviews (and ranks in an order) the content of Websites. If a person enters 'golf' into a search engine, that person will be shown a list of sites to visit that contain the word golf. As an example, Yahoo! (a popular search engine) has 2,066,797 Web pages to choose from when 'golf' is searched for.

• Will the Internet continue to grow?

  All indications are that the Internet will continue to grow. Most day-to-day activities can now be completed on the Internet. An example of this is grocery shopping from the major supermarkets. Think of when the first fax machines appeared. When only a few had them not everyone needed them—but when the majority had them then others had to have them to keep in step.

  Increasing ease of use, reducing costs and technological advances will aid the continued growth.

• Is it important to get people to return to the site? If yes, how do you get them to return?

  It is vital to have people return to the site again and again. Research indicates that people will feel more comfortable with your company and purchase products or services only after having visited the site seven times previously.

  To have people return to the site we have to reward them. We include built-in strategies that aid repeat visits. Other possibilities include:

  • Interesting information regularly updated such as industry related articles, tips as said, etc.
  • Links page containing links that appeal to the target market - once visitors know it is available they can return to the site to access the links easily.

1. 90% from links from other sites
2. 85% from search engines
3. 65% Word of mouth
4. 64% from magazines and newspapers
(Multiple response answers)

• How do we let people know of the site?

As indicated in the above figures, effective marketing of a Website is achieved utilizing a variety of techniques. These include:

Links - being linked to a site that has a lot of, and/or related, visitors can attract visitors over to your site. Examples of the reciprocal links we will try to establish are with:

• Local Businesses
• Clients
• Sites of interest

Search Engine submission - up to 85% of all Websites are found after a search engine request.

Structure of the site - the text and meta tags (meta tags are special areas hidden within a site that hold key words that search engines find) should hold all words that are relevant for your site.

Off-line advertising - advertising of the site, placing the Website address on all business literature, using a 'postcard' mail out strategy, etc.