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 PO Box 345 . Brookings OR 97415 . 541-469-3677 |
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...And ANSWERS! Click on the question you would like answered below. |
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| What can a website do for my business? |
| A website is a newer form of advertising that's been around for about 10 years now. Advertising isn't new by any means; we've had town criers, print advertising, radio and TV advertising for a very long time. Reaching audiences limited to a city or region is typical of those advertising mediums. Having a website means you can reach anyone anytime, anywhere. There are no limits to the number of people you can reach through a website. If the website is well designed, easily navigated and placed high in the search engines you have the perfect way to reach out to the entire world. If you have a product you want to promote and sell, the Internet can be one of your best tools. Remember, good design and maintenance of your site will keep your business at the top of the website heap, and trust me, there's a HEAP of sites out there. For more information about what a website can do for your company, try visiting Web Design Quest and read some of the articles you will find there. |
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| How much does a website cost? |
| Website Ownership involves:
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| Who chooses the design? |
| Ultimately YOU DO! A good designer will discuss with you your ideas and needs before the design process actually begins. Designers should get a feel for the type of site you might want. By asking the right questions and listening to the client's responses, a good designer should have some clue where to start. A couple of questions he/she could ask might include: Your answers will be different from anyone else's. The designer will take all this into consideration before beginning your site. A good designer will offer previews in graphic format for you to critique. You will be encouraged to pick the graphics apart describing the things you like and dislike. From that information the designer should get a feel for which direction you would like to go and then should provide additional previews. All design work needs to be signed off when approved the same as it would be at any major print production shop. With your sign-off the designer can move forward with the website development. When you have made a decision and choose a designer, be sure to get a contract or agreement. This protects both of you. If you are not offered a contract or agreement you are dealing with someone who is not professional and should not be handling your business. Most agreements or contracts require a down payment (one-third to one-half down before work begins is normal for this industry) and will spell out the basic site layout. |
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| How long does it take to build a site? |
| This is a tough question because it really depends on the client. The process is explained in the previous question about how the site design process begins. Working closely with your designer to get the right 'look and feel' is the first step. This process is usually what takes the longest, a period of at least a week with good communication. After that it is up to you, the client, to get the necessary text and photos to the designer, unless you have made other arrangements. For example, perhaps it is contracted that the designer will take the photos needed for your project. This requires finding time for the designer to come and take those photos. Ultimately the site should take very little time to put together once you have decided on the design. Although the turn around time at CRS Design is VERY good, it will be up to the client to be sure the site takes as little time as possible. |
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| What is a Shopping Cart? |
| A shopping cart is what its name conveys, a place to put items while shopping... it works for the Internet the same as it does for the local grocery store. When you are through shopping you go to the cashier and pay for your selections. They keep their money locked in a secure box we call a cash register. A client on your website needs to feel safe to use his credit card to make payment for his purchases. It is vital that your website employ the services of a secure server to gather credit card information. With that assurance you should have no trouble selling your goods. Shopping carts can be custom developed for great gobs of money. But there are other choices, better choices; we use a great service that is very cost effective and fairly simple to set up. For more information on shopping cart setup and fees please contact us. |
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| What is a Search Engine? |
| Search Engines are very much like research libraries. They are keepers of categories, website categories and portals for information on any subject you can think of. There are at least a GAZILLION search engines out there! Don't let that intimidate you, there are only so many that are really worth knowing and using (such as Google, Alta Vista, Yahoo to name a few). Basically a search engine works likes this: One of the best ways to get your site listed in the top engines on the first couple of pages is to have several reciprocal links on your pages somewhere. These links are to other sites of interest on similar subjects as your website. These links are 'spydered' or recognized by the engines' software (or actual people in some rare instances) and make your site more desirable at the top of the engines. We'll help you with the links before we index your site. |
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| Why is Search Engine placement important? |
| If you have a product you are trying to sell on the Internet you have to have it available to the visitor. Most visitors who utilize a search engine will only go as far as the second or maybe the third page of results at the very most. Remember, instant gratification is what the Web is all about. If your site can't be found you can't sell your goods. Search Engine Placement can make or break your online sales division. But how do search engines know where to place your site? You also search out some good reciprocal links to add on your site under a heading like 'Links of Interest'. These links will lead people to other sites on a similar or related topic to your website. When this is done correctly you don't lose visitors; the links will open a new browser window. When the visitor has completed looking at the reciprocal site he closes that window and the window with your website is still open for them to continue visiting. When the site is completed and placed live on the Internet it is time to Index the site in the search engines. It can take several months to get placed. The sooner you get your site indexed properly the sooner you will see your site come up in the search engines. |
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| How do I get good Search Engine placement? |
| Indexing once is just not enough. Our contracts include a one-time submission to the search engines upon completion of the website. However, we usually index twice at no charge before we're satisfied with the results. We like to see our websites come up on the first or second page of results. This takes a little effort, but its very well worth it! In order to maintain your placement in the engines continued regular indexing should be a part of site maintenance. Consider the fact that hundreds (maybe even thousands) of websites get launched and indexed every single day around the world. If you are not consistent with indexing your site it will get lost in the shuffle. Keep in mind, this is another form of advertising. All your website related costs are tax deductible as advertising expenses. This is just the same as advertising in a newspaper or a special advertisement in the Yellow Pages. Websites reach world wide audiences. A print ad sure can't do that . So with a website you get more bang for your buck! Maintaining high placement in search engines is essential. For more information on search engine submission fees please check our rates. |
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| If you should have additional questions please feel free to contact us. We will be glad to answer any questions you might have about developing your website. |
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