Frequently Asked Questions

People new to having a business on the Internet have many of the same questions. Here are a few responses that may help answer your question. If you have a question of any kind, feel free to contact me and I'll do my best to answer it to the best of my ability.

How much will my web site cost?
The price will vary depending on your individual needs. If you just need a brochure type web site, it can cost as little as a few hundred dollars. The more you want on your web site, or the more you want visitors to be able to do, the more it will cost.

How long will it take?
I can have a basic 5 to 10 page web site up and ready within a week. Bigger sites take longer to complete. Ecommerce is more involved, and depends on how much information you have available on your products. For example, do you have photos taken already? Do you know the weight? Do you have a description already in digital form? Do I have to create a description, or type each one out? For search engine marketing, the work takes between one and six months to see results.

Is advertising on the Internet expensive?
Just like any other advertising, you can spend very little money or you can spend a great deal. The return on your investment will vary from industry to industry. Cost will depend on your industry and how saturated the market is with similar companies. For example, if you're a mortgage lender, advertising on the Internet will be more expensive because there are so many large companies that use Search Engine Marketing (so the cost per click to get someone to your site will be more than if you're a photographer, for example). A per click cost can be $.20, or up to $6.00! I'll be happy to investigate what it would cost for you.

How do I assure my customers my site is safe to use?
You purchase something called an SSL certificate which encrypts certain areas of your site, making them hack proof. SSL (stands for "secure sockets layering") is security encryption that protects your visitors when they're typing in sensitive information on your web site, such as a credit card. Simply put, the address changes from http:// to https:// at the point when it's needed. This is how you as well as your clients can tell that this portion of your site has security to protect them.

What is hosting?
Your web site is located on a server (a high speed computer) that has a direct connection to the Internet. Businesses called Hosting Companies "host" your site, meaning they allow you to put all the files that make up your web site on one of their computers. Go daddy is my current choice for hosting as well as domain name registration. They're the cheapest and have the best customer service.

What kind of font choice do I have for text in my web site?
In graphics, any font will display exactly as you insert it. For actual text (anything you can highlight with your mouse), you can use any font that's available on the internet, but if a visitor doesn't have that font, they will see Times New Roman or their default browser font. Here are examples of recommended fonts to use for actual text in your web site.