This guide is meant to be a primer to help you make smart decisions about how to get your web site built.
Building a web site can be challenging. We help you untangle the issues to help you make the right decisions before you spend money.
The three core services essential to any web site
- Naming it - Getting a Domain Name
- Hosting it - Getting a Hosting Account
- Building it - Design Services or Software
Name It - Getting a Domain Name
The first thing you should do (yes, stop reading and go do it now) if you even have an inkling of a site you might like to build is to register a domain name. Why is this so urgent? First, domains are like real estate on the web. You need to get their first if you want to establish a position on the web. If you are too late and someone else gets there first it can cost you many more times the cost of the domain or you may not be able to get it at all. Second, the cost of a domain name is minute in the overall scheme of things so that even if you don't end up following through the investment is minimal. Domains range in price from $6 - $35 for the main TLDs (.com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .us). We offer domains for $14.95, which includes registering, forwarding and administering the domain for you. You can register a domain name here for $14.95 or contact us and we can help register one for you.
What is a domain? It's essentially an easy to remember shortcut so that people can get to your web site without typing in an IP address. Because of this domain names have become essential to marketing online businesses.
Hosting it - Getting a Hosting Account
Every site needs a home. What is hosting? It's essentially space on a server that holds all of the files that make up your web site. This server has a stable connection to the internet so that users can access your web site. Can you host your own web site? Of course you can. You may ask, "what am I paying for?" Well, professional hosting companies offer a secure, stable, always on, fast connection that you may not be able to offer. They also offer more in the way of features and support than you are ready to take on. For this reason most companies see a value in paying a nominal subscription fee to have their site hosted.
Is it as urgent to pay for hosting as it is to get a domain name? Well, no. But we suggest that even if you aren't ready to build your web site you start by having us build a temporary page for you with you logo and basic contact information so that you have a way for customers to reach you in the interim period. By doing this you can also begin using personalized email (yourname@yourdomain.com) and chuck that AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo address.
Click here to view our hosting packages or take advantage of our special Starter Page offer for $199 which includes 1 year of hosting, a personalized place holder page, email, set up and support.
Building it - Design Services and Software
Whereas hosting and domains are rather easy. Design takes more thought and planning. There are numerous avenues to go down, from hiring a consultant, to using a template, to building it yourself. Even though we'd love your business we recognize that no single solution is right for everyone.
We suggest you start by identifying the type of person you are based on your priorities. We do this by using the Easy, Cheap, and Good rule. Take the three qualities of Easy, Cheap and Good and choose the two that are most important to you.
Let's define those a little better.
Easy - Meaning you personally won't have to spend a lot of time, hassle, and headache working on it.
Cheap - Obviously this means that money is a big factor and you don't want to spend as much of it on your web site.
Good - Perhaps the most controversial trait. Good is subjective. Designing your site yourself might allow you to design it in a way that you like even if it's more amateur. Having someone do it for you might result in a site that is more professionally done. A more accurate one might be "professional."
So, let's go back to the exercise.
If you chose Easy and Good maybe hiring a consultant is right for you. You can ensure that the quality is professional and that you can leave it in the hands of someone else rather than getting frustrated by doing it yourself. You don't mind investing a bit of money into ensuring quality and ease.
If you chose Easy and Cheap a template solution might be the right way to go for you. There are a number of solutions that offer very nice templates that make it easy to do your self without much expense. The tradeoff is whether you can accept a design that may not be 100% what you want, but many templates are of a quality that some customers don't mind. We can always give you some guidance on what templates to choose or even help customize one for you.
If you chose Cheap and Good a do-it-yourself approach might be for you. With the purchase of the right software and a little patience you can create a site on your own. It may take longer, you may experience some frustration, but thousands of people have built web sites on their own and are more than happy with the results. Again we can always act as a guide if this is the route you choose.
What other components make a good web site?
- Content
- Promotion
- Security
- Conversion
- Commerce
- Tracking
- Maintenance
Content
It's all too common for businesses to look at content as this amorphous glob to stick into web sites to make people come there. The truth is, content should be the driving force behind user's desire to come to a web site in the first place. Think of the top sites you go to for news, entertainment, interaction, and information. Are they on that list because they have a slick design or because they have great content? Content takes time, creativity and hard work to produce. Although your content is the heart and soul of your business or organization and therefore should come from you, we can assist you in developing a strategy in developing your content.
Promotion
If you build it they will come. Well, that may have worked for Kevin Costner, but not on the web. There are millions of web sites vying for the attention of the web population out there. How can you become more visible? Any web site project should include at least some discussion on promotion strategy. phoogoo offers numerous strategies to help your site gain the visibility it deserves.
Security
In an age of identity theft, phishing, fraud, spam and viruses security is a big issue. It is bigger for some, less so for others. If you site collects data you need to address security. We can help with the basics, like setting up an SSL certificate to finding people to do security audits.
Conversion
Making you site perform is a crucial component to your web presence. What good is getting a ton of traffic if you haven't defined some specific action for visitors to take and a metric for measuring the conversion rate? Yes, some sites are there just for fun, or for indirect branding. But most commercial sites and applications rely on measurable results (registrations, orders, sign-ups, posts, referrals etc.) Let us help you define conversion goals and set up processes to maximize performance of those metrics.
Commerce
Do you want to sell online? If so there are a number of issues to content with. It can be daunting, but a good partner can help you establish a commercial presence and help you grow it. We can help you evaluate, choose, implement and maintain the solution that's right for you.
Tracking
You need information to see how your site is doing. Almost any hosting account has some tools for basic tracking. But one size does not fit all and there are advanced tools to help you capture and analyze data to a granular detail. Solutions include Google Analytics, Omniture, Web Trends and Hitbox.
Maintenance
Web sites require care and feeding so content and information don't get stale. You need a partner to rely on to help you maintain the site and tools to empower you take on some of those duties yourself. We can train you to use Macromedia Contribute for basic maintenance or even set up a customized content management solution for you.
What to look for before you hire
As we mentioned above we can help you even if you decide to take a do-it-yourself approach or use a template to build your site. If you decide to hire a consultant (any consultant - not just us) we suggest you look for the following:
- A strong portfolio
- Good communication
- Transparent costs and terms
- Someone with a long term, comprehensive view
- Someone who tailors solutions to your needs
A strong portfolio
Most freelancers and agencies should have an easy-to-find portfolio or be able to provide you with one before you hire them. There should be enough examples in it to determine if their design approach is in line your vision. Spend some time to view the examples in their portfolio and don't hesitate to ask questions.
Good communication
In your initial dialogue with the consultant they should be able to communicate with you in a way that does not talk below or above you. They should be able and willing to translate technical concepts in a way that you can understand and not use GeekSpeak or MarketingSpeak as a way to obscure information. A good consultant should be able to translate your vision into a tangible concept and provide ideas to help expand that vision.
Transparent costs and terms
There should be no obfuscation about the costs of your project. Some consultants work on a straight hourly basis, others on a fixed bid bases. Both are fine. Make sure you demand the one that works for you. Deliverables, Costs, Timelines, Terms and other important information should be submitted in a written proposal that you both sign. You should also take steps to ensure that you are in complete understanding of what you are getting for what you are paying. Ask questions. They should be there to help you.
Someone with a long term, comprehensive view
It may be harder to detect, but you want a consultant that will their relationship with you as a long-term partnership. Even if you immediate needs are small you want someone who will be standing by to help you with future needs as they come up, not build your site and then disappear. You also want to make sure that the solutions they offer won't be out-of-date in a year or will become unworkable within the context of your long-term strategy.
Someone who tailors solutions to your needs
Some firms and solution providers offer a magic bullet fix, a one-size fits all solution for any client regardless of size, industry and other factors. There are many approaches to building your site and they are not all the same. For smaller clients, a low cost solution may be more appropriate. For larger clients a more comprehensive solution might be best. Some clients may have needs limited in scope; others more expansive.
How much should it cost?
Each and every web site is different. Costs are dependant on the technical complexity of your site, the amount of content, the amount of design options and revisions and a number of other factors. Our process starts with a meeting to discuss all of those elements and determine what your individual needs are. From that FREE consultation we will present you with a proposal that outlines all of the deliverables and costs in a straightforward manner.
Click here to request an appointment. Or call 503.380.5130
To help make things easier we have also put together some service bundles with costs up front. These are packages of services that represent typical needs many businesses have. They may not exactly fit your needs, but they can present general milestones.
Click here to view the Service Bundles.