Important factors to consider

• connection speed
• cross platform issues
• search engines

Steps involved in building web sites

1. Proposal and planning meeting
2. Information is collected
3. Copy Writing - Determine your keywords
4. Production - Integrating all the elements
5. Upload web site
6. Who owns the web site?
7. Publicizing Your Web Site
8. Ongoing maintenance

Web design consists of various stages. Proper planning is the key to assuring your web site design goes as smoothly as possible. There are also important factors to consider:

First, we need to talk about connection speed. That is, how quickly do web pages download i.e. appear on computer monitor? Keep in mind, your audience has different connection speeds, ranging from dial up (telephone), to Broadbent, to high speed cable connection. If only dial up is available in certain areas, chances are your browsers will not want to wait. Therefore, it is imperative to minimize the download time for users by making web pages weigh the least amount possible.

You may also run into cross platform issues when viewing web sites. How do pages appear on different computer models (i.e. PC and Mac)? How do they appear with different browsers such as Internet Explorer or Netscape?
Another factor to consider is the screen resolution. For example, if a web site was created with a resolution of 800 x 600, pages can be viewed on laptops or any computer without having to scroll horizontally. Other browsers prefer a larger resolution such as 1024 x 768 or greater.

Will the browser need to download any software to properly view web pages? Will they need to download Flash or other programs?

Ever look for a web site and you can’t find it? Chances are it was done in Flash. Basically, Flash is not ideal for search engines. We can integrate Flash components in your site without compromising search engine results. If you are looking for a complete Flash web site, then this site is NOT for you.

Keeping in mind that you wish your customers and potential customers to find your web site quickly, we will submit your site details to internet search engines, we insert Meta tags and optimize your web site to ensure top ranking to the most popular search engines on the Internet.

In determining how much a web site will cost, please contact us. You may want to refer to the printer friendly questionnaire. This will greatly help us understand exactly what you are looking for and we will be able to give you a quote that we can all be happy with. Any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. Once the initial contact has been made, a face-to-face meeting with client will take place.

Steps involved in building web sites

1. Proposal and planning meeting, in person, we will listen to what you need and what you hope for in your web site. List and determine the goals that you would like to accomplish through your web site, who is your target market, what information is most often asked of your business and what message would you like to present?

During this meeting, time will also be spent in setting up a web server account with an ISP, and registering your domain.

2. Next, information is collected about the product, service and business. We suggest that you gather all materials that are representative of your business - logos, photos, brochures, letters, postcards, etc. Who are your competitors? What are your competitors doing? What they are doing well with their web site? What can they improve on?

At the end of the initial meeting, we will give you a list of items that we will need from you.

3. Copy Writing - Determine your keywords. Incorporate these into web pages. Develop a brief content. Copy writing is the most time-consuming yet most critical aspect of web development. Much of this step involves working with you and your team.

The copy is actually written and emailed to you for review and approval.

4. Production - Integrating all the elements
This is where we put all the ingredients together (text, forms, logos, colours, images etc.) and create the page layouts. We will talk to you during this stage if we have any queries about your requirements and will keep you informed of the progress. A Mock-up of your site will be available and you will be able to watch the ongoing progress of your site.

5. Upload web site
Once you approve the overall site, it can go live on the web. Your file documents and graphics will be uploaded to your web site server. After this is done, your web site will exist and we will ask you to examine the pages. We will make any minor changes you require and fix any typographical errors.

6. Who owns the web site?
You retain ownership (copyright) of all original materials (graphics, artwork, photographs, music, etc.) that you provided in building your web site. Once your site is completed and corrections are made, you will receive a CD-ROM with all files, photos, graphics, or other items used to create your web site.

7. Publicizing Your Web Site
We will submit and register your web site with major web search organizations (Google, Yahoo etc).

8. Ongoing maintenance
We will make sure your web site is up and running. We will make minor changes, make sure your contact forms are in proper working order and that there are no dead links on your web site. If you or your staff would like to maintain your web site, we would gladly provide training.

Once your estimate has been calculated, a 30% deposit is required to cover the cost of domain registration and site hosting. The balance of charges only becomes payable once the site is up and running to your satisfaction.