Do you want to expand your business? Are you a small business looking for legitimacy? Do you want to give better customer service to existing customers? Perhaps you want to sell some products farther afield than your current territory? Are your products complex enough to need detailed descriptions/explanations for use? Do you want to acquire customers of a different demographic? These and many more - are good reasons to have a web site.

Why does it seem so expensive?

A website is a necessity these days, even for small businesses. The most basic of sites, such as a business card or brochure site where your entire goal is nothing more than to allow people to find you online, is very affordable. It costs about as much as the design and printing of a good flyer or brochure - and it can say so much. It can also be easily updated (without the waste of throwing out old flyers) to reflect any changes. Most people soon find they need a larger web presence for many reasons, including better customer service and sales support of their products. In many cases, a business wouldn't exist without a web site, particularly those designed around online sales.

Furthermore, consider the level of experience a web consultant brings to your business. We have spent thousands of hours in training and education for web related marketing and design. We have mastered many areas of web development including graphic design, web marketing, programming, and more. We have worked with a multitude of companies and their business plans. You get the benefit of that experience on your project, without the cost of paying for it.

Most of all, do you want to increase business income? How much are you willing to pay for that increase? If an extra phone line or vehicle or product line were required for your business to prosper, you'd find a way to acquire it wouldn't you? Did you know online advertising with a website is the biggest bargain around compared to print, radio ads or TV advertising? For about $2,000 you can have the equivalent of 5 years of several full page magazine spred type ads, in hundreds of magazines, reaching millions of viewers with no significant monthly cost. How much of a bargain is that?

But you don't have any overhead, it's just a computer....

I wish!!! Web development classes run $1,500 - $2,500.00 per course - and hands on experience we've gained over the years is priceless. There are many courses depending on what direction your web design and development business is headed: graphic art, programming, and management to name a few. The requirements for websites (standards) are always changing so we must constantly take courses and self-study to stay on top of everything (and still can't know it all!)

At minimum I use common web development software such as Dreamweaver which is $399, image editing software such as Photoshop $999, Fireworks $299, Flash Professional $699, Acrobat Professional $449.00, and 20 or 30 other programs that do specialized things such as Adobe Premiere (video) $799, or ColdFusion $649.00, Illustrator $599, Freehand $399, Pagemaker $499, or Microsoft Office Pro $499 if you'd like to try your hand at learning them. These programs must be upgraded constantly to be of any use.

Like you and your business I have electricity, heat, rent, high speed internet connection, phone, insurances, and automobile expenses. I also must upgrade my computers and basic software constantly and pay internet specific software and hosting expenses just to be able to work on your site. A computer is obsolete in a 2-3 years and commonly I'll use two or three at a time while research and testing is done, and while building a site. I must keep up with software upgrades such as Windows and Office - you wouldn't want me building your website in ancient Windows 3.0 would you? I also occasionally must hire employees to do complex programming or do the grunt work when I get exceptionally busy, and of course, they do get paid. You wouldn't tell your Doctor "but it's just a pair of scissors and a pocket knife"...

Exactly how much does a website cost?

There are many factors that go into building a web project, including your ability to provide needed materials and approve stages of the project in a timely manner. Other things that influence cost are complexity of the site, changes to the project as it progresses, good communication between all parties, how information is submitted, and the quality and source of photos, to name a few. These are all variables that impact the final cost. Unfortunately our crystal ball cannot see all the possibilities that may unfold as the site is built, so we can only provide an estimate.

How long does it take?

Again, the same factors that impact cost, impact time. Web sites have been completed in just a couple of weeks when all materials were provided promptly and communication has been on target. However, our single largest problem in completion (and cost overruns) are lack the of requested materials, materials in the wrong format, and changes to the site that were not anticipated. We can give you an estimated time frame, but many factors have an impact on how long it takes.

Why choose a small company such as yours over a big one?

Our small web design company offers you personalized service and years of hands-on experience. We do not employ designers heavy on "theory" and short on practical skill. We are available in emergencies beyond normal business hours. We can create a variety of "styles" rather than create websites where everything looks like it's from the same template. We have done a variety of websites for small businesses in every niche. Our clients include large multi-national corporations to small local one-person entities and non-profits. We also feel there's an advantage to work directly with one person - rather than an army of different specialists where communications can be misunderstood and lost. Many of our business clients have become good friends, which testifies to our deep concern for our client's best interests when designing their web site. See our portfolio with samples of our work, or check out feedback we've received from customers.

How cheap can you do it?

The least expensive site we've created in recent history was around $700 - it was a two page site, had a few photos, and very little copy. It was straight HTML design, with no "moving parts" or custom graphics, and no extras of any kind. Frankly, it was boring to look at, but it did the job. We occasionally do $300 "one page business card" websites, but typically the clients themselves see the value of additional features so the site is more productive.

We will work with you to provide an estimate that is specific to your needs. The estimate we provide is our best attempt to give you a fair and honest idea of how much a quality web site will cost, based upon your requirements. Sometimes, if you have "champagne tastes on a beer budget" we can work with you to start small, and in stages work up to the site you would really like to have. We are capable of doing anything you are capable of paying for, as the old adage goes.

Sure, you can have someone in another country do it cheaper - but communication, convenience, and skill should have a bearing on your decision as well. We are aware of many people who have outsourced websites to other countries or college age nephews, or used mass marketers like the Yellow Pages to build their sites - and eventually they return to us because they discover the advantage of a professionally built website.

If you MUST do it yourself, try ">Website Tonight. You'll at least own your domain name, and have access to your hosting. Unfortunately, like all of the "canned" solutions, they are not search engine friendly, require a learning curve and a lot of work to build, and use templates so your site looks like many others. I really only recommend them for personal sites (ie: family pet sites, keeping in touch with relatives, etc.) because they can have a permanent negative impact on search engines and how you are viewed as a business.

Why can't you just make something up and I'll see if I like it?

Sometimes were are asked "how will I know that I'll like what you design" - can't you just make it up and I'll see if I like it. Unfortunately, as with other creative fields such as graphic design, advertising, and art - that would be providing work for free. Our schedule is much too busy to provide free work. We will be glad to give you an estimate with more than one design to choose from. And check out our barter page...that's always a possibility.

What is hosting?

Web sites must have a place to "live" on the internet. They live on web servers, which are computers that are hooked up to the internet 24/7 and have other requirements such as protection from hacking attacks, back-up power or other features that make them a reliable place to put your web site so it's always available. Web servers are a lot of work to maintain so most people don't run their own. They buy space from experts that know how to maintain them. When someone rents space to you for your website, that is called hosting a web site. We provide hosting with excellent features for reasonable rates.

What's a domain name?

A domain name is like an street address. It's the URL or name of a website - www.yoursite and is how your customers will find you. In order to get a domain name, you have to buy it from an internet registry that sells them. Although we talk about "buying" a name, really we are just leasing it for a period of time - from 1 to 10 years. If you "own" a domain, nobody else can use it. If you let the name expire, someone else can buy it. We provide domain name registration as one of the services we offer. You can see what names are available or get some terrific ideas if your first choice isn't, here.

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