Means of getting Online and Sure-fire Tips to make for Smooth Sailing!

Getting a Web Page Online!
| Create Your Own | Hire a Web Designer | Price Estimates | Alternatives |

Once the decision has been made to create a web page, deciding the type you want is the first logical choice.  There are a number of different ways to get online.

Creating Your Own Free Web Page

The cheapest way to get online is to create a free web page on your own.  This may be done at Yahoo’s Geocities (http://geocities.yahoo.com/home/)

Benefits:

• Free: No cost, you do it all yourself.

• Control:  Since you are the composer, all the information online and how it is mapped is of your choice.

• Images:  If your company does not have a set logo, there are many copyright free images you may use for you web design.

• Templates:  If you do not want to design a great deal, you may use one of Geocities generic web designs.

  Draw Backs:

• Ads:  A minor concern to some, you will have either a banner ad or some other form of advertisement from Geocities on your site.

• Time:  Speaking from personal experience, with a 56K modem through a standard phone line, it does take some time to get going.  There is also the general hassle of mapping all the pages yourself as well as typing all the information.

• Logos:  Uploading any business logos to the Geocities website does take time as they place them in a folder for you.

• URL:  Your web page’s address will be long.  For example: http://www.geocities.com/yvonne_hap.

Hire a Web Designer

The other way to get online is to hire a web designer to do most the work.  To make the process go smoothly for your business and the web designer, there are some basic tips to keep in mind:

Commitment

If you have decided to pay for a web page to be built, by all means follow up on it!  In general there is a waiting period before any web designer completes a web page.  However, after the initial time is spent (2+ weeks), review your web page.  If it is not up, find out the reason for delay.  Do not wait months before you return for review.  By that point a web designer may assume that everything is satisfactory.  If you know your schedule will not allow time for you to review the web page, make certain to appoint someone you trust to review the page's progress.  If no one is available, then discuss possibilities with your web designer ahead of time.

Terms and Conditions

Make certain you are aware of any return policies by the selected service.  Be completely aware of what is included in the service.  Preferably get it in writing.  If you have any questions as to why something is different than you expected, make sure to ask about it ASAP.

Speed

Once you have made the decision to go online, undoubtedly you will be eager to see everything up and running.  As a web designer I can tell you the fastest way I can place information and logos online is when they are sent via email.  Word documents for your text and gif images of your logo can speed up the process tremendously.  If you do not have a logo as a computer image or want text pulled from a brochure you do not have on your computer, send the information via post mail.  Although this may slow down development, it will ensure clearer images and text.  Fax is another method that may be used.   However, fax can be tricky.  First, any logos sent via fax are much harder to scan and make a blurry image.  Also, on some occasions, faxes get smeared or faded and the text becomes difficult or impossible to read.  On rare instances pages may be missing from the fax and the web designer may think they have everything the client wanted.  In the end the web designer may have to ask you to resend the information or send it via post, adding a longer delay to your web page going online.

Design

Many businesses going online only care about the logo and colors used leaving the rest of the design up to the web designer.  However, if you do have an idea of what you want, let the web designer know ahead of time.  For example if you want the “About” your business at the top of the page and “Service” information at the bottom or on a different page, this information helps.  This is also important when deciding on a web designer.  Again, check the terms.  Some businesses offer a basic design with anywhere from 1-5 pages.  All in all, if you are unsure about what you would like to see, just make certain to check back after the initial page is up, from there you may make any suggested changes or alterations.

Examples:

• For an example of a ONE PAGE web site see Peggy Hoogs & Associates.

• Using BOOKMARKS can be an easy alternative to multiple pages if you are allotted only a one page web site.  To see how they may be used effectively see Lewis J. Neuwelt Investigations.

• To see how MULTIPLE PAGES may be used to make a clean web site, see Select Document Services.

Function

Consider your web page audience.  This is a factor in the design as well.   If you are providing a page to tell about your business, an online advertisement, a simple design works best.  Adding a few “bells and whistles”, such as a flash intro or moving images, is a two edged sword.  On one hand your audience will remember your site longer.  On the other, if the page takes too long to load they may move on.  Consider carefully the patience of your audience and what they would want to see from the start.  If you transact business through your web page, make certain to consider your clients security and prepare any protections necessary for Credit Cards, etc.  If your web page will function as a service, then you may consider using frames.  However, frames can be bulky and should only be used when providing a search or a continuous service/menu throughout the site.

Examples:

• A good example of FLASH and its potential to capture an audience may be seen at Dig Dirt's Intro.

• A illustration of how FRAMES may be used to your advantage can be seen at the Simpson Reporters site.

• If you offer PRODUCTS on your site, make sure to let users know all the details upfront. A  good example page is TennPuters Services' about their I-Word Software.

Hosting

If you wish to buy your own domain name, find out if your web designer can host the site or can suggest a hosting service for you.  Further ideas for this decision may be found in the discussion of pricing.

Price Estimates for Getting Online

Deciding to hire a web designer also brings up issues of price.  The four main factors figuring into this sum include: domain name, hosting, web design and logos.

Domain Names

A domain name is your address online, the URL.  A domain name may be purchased from any number of the Domain Name Registrars (for a complete list click here).

For an example, say your business name is ArtzDesign.  At the Domain Name Registrar’s site, do a search for your name.  It will tell you if the .com address is free.  If not, you may continue searching with variations of your name such as “ArtzDesignCo” or “ArtzDesignProfessionals”.  Remember there are other alternatives to .com addresses such as .us for the United States.  If you really want to play around, you may look at other country URLs and see if they are allowing foreigners to purchase names (For example, at one time Turkmenistan was allowing business to use their URL .tm which was very tempting for business with trademarks – i.e. our example would be www.artzdesign.tm).

Once you find a name available, it may be purchased, usually for an annual fee.  Usually, a .com is around $35, .net around $30, and .org around $25.  Country codes, such as .us, vary in price based on popularity - for example, right now .tv is higher than most others.  Some registrars will offer discounts if you purchase the URL for so many years in advance.  Be certain to check if the registrar charges extra for a "forwarding" service (forwarding is when they transfer you new URL to a permanent carrier or ISP).  Also, check around, many registrars now offer trademark searches as well.

If you have any further questions about domain names, take a look at our August 2000 Newsletter “Domain Name Disputes” where the use of domains is more detailed.  There is also information about legal entanglements to be aware of when choosing a domain name.

Hosting

Most businesses getting online for the first time do not have a computer set up to host their own web page around the clock.  If you decide to host your own site, choose your computer hardware carefully as the traffic it must handle could be crippling.

Most use an Internet Service Provider (ISP) which offers hosting services to websites.  First, find an ISP in your area.  MSN offers a good online search of ISPs in their yellow pages.  Most search engines online can direct you to the nearest ISP relatively easily.  Next, review their different policies and services.  Prices may vary depending on the plan you take.  Usually hosting is around $30-$40/month.  This does not include purchasing the domain name - if you have a ISP server do this they may move the price up to around $50/yr.  Also, some ISPs may change price according to the amount of megabytes/memory used by your site.  Reviewing your different options and then contacting your top choices for further explanations for any service is always a good idea.

As an added bonus to keep in mind: Many ISPs offer web design or can suggest highly recommended designers.

Web Design

            The cost of hiring web design varies.  Web designers in practically all cases have a web page of their own.  These pages give many examples to the projects they have done.  However, most designers prefer for you to call for an estimate.  The more you want, the fancier the site, the more it will cost.  Some example figures would be:

• Single Page (Advertisement) Web Site:
  1 page, 2-3 graphics, preparation & layout
  $175-200
• Basic Web Site:
  4-5 pages, 2-3 graphics per page, preparation & layout
  $400-500
• Full Web Site:
  10 pages, 2-3 graphics per page, preparation & layout
  $1000+

Again, the more advanced, the more the price will go up.

Make certain to check the details, some designers give a flat fee.  However, most of them give an initial fee and an additional hourly wage.  Usually hourly wages range anywhere from $50 to $75.  Hourly wages may also be added if a web designer is creating a special search or JavaScript for your site.  If a web designer ads an hourly fee, be certain to ask for an estimate and any reasons that estimate would change drastically.  As stated earlier, be certain to review any terms and conditions.

Keep in mind a web page does not appear magically.  Treat it as you would if you were making a professional brochure.  In essence you are publishing a short book about your business for everyone to see; it should be given a just commitment.

Logos

Most businesses have a logo they use to identify themselves visually.  These range from standard/generic images to add flare (i.e. - many American professionals use the Bald Eagle) to a complex design created solely for one business.  If you do not have a version of your logo saved on your computer, most web designers can scan in an image from a brochure and sharpen it as best they can for the net.  Most web designers can also recreate images, however, if they are not graphic designers, then a professional may be wanted.

Another alternative is to have your logo recreated by a graphic specialist.  Most graphic designers save the image in various formats so their clients may use the image for both the web and printing (Professional Printers usually require images to be formatted differently from web gif and jpeg images to create brochures and other printed media).  For the recreation of a logo by graphic designers, the general figure is usually $1500.  If you do not have a business logo and wish to have one created from scratch, the price is around $3000.  These prices can vary.  Many graphic designers mirror the web designer policy of a flat fee and then an additional hourly wage.  Many graphic designers also have a web page with examples of their work.  Again, most require clients to call for an estimate.

Alternative Web Design

| February 2001 Newsletter:  Main Page | Part I: Benefits | Part II: Precautions | Part III: Web Development | Part IV: Driving Traffic |