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4. What do I do if my domain name has been registered by
someone else?
Panic! Just kidding!!! Simply call us and we can recommend
alternative names that would be suitable for your business.
5. How do I choose a design for my website?
The best way to start is by choosing a colour scheme – 2-3
colours are the best. If your company has a logo or preferred
colours on its stationery that’s a good start. For those of you
starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours
and stick with them – don’t change colours on every page.
If you’re not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the
internet and find a website that you like. You can then model
your colour scheme on what already exists.
Can’t find a website you really like? Another option is to
choose a template. There are many templates or pre-set designs.
These come as part of your web design software (such as FrontPage)
or you can check out some websites that specialise in designing
templates.
You can find many templates by going to:
http://www.web4business.com.au/GettingStartedStep2.htm
These templates can be customised to suit your business.
Templates are great, as they allow you to see what your website
will look like before you spend any money. One suggestion for
using templates – if you are planning to add a lot of your own
pictures and photos, stick to a neutral, basic website which
doesn’t have any graphics. This way your photos will stand out,
instead of competing for attention.
Naturally, your designer is a good source of information. If
you are looking for a custom website, he/she can design one for
you from scratch, but knowing your preferable colours is a great
help.
6. How do I ensure my website is customer friendly?
(a) Provide an easy to use navigation system.
This is one of the most important issues to consider when
designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find
what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display
their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most
people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick
with it.
Please make sure your navigation bar is on every page, as
visitors may not arrive at your website via your homepage.
Because most Search Engines index your webpages by their content,
one of your secondary pages may rank higher than your homepage.
And if you don’t have a navigation bar, your visitors won’t have
anywhere else to go.
It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of
each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the
top.
(b) Don’t go overboard on special effects
Whilst it is ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up
your website, spinning graphics and logos often distract your
visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to
download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning
logo finishes loading.
If your website contains special effects that require extra
software to be downloaded, you can be sure that 99% of people will
not bother and will leave your website immediately.
When including pictures and photos, please ensure they are the
smallest possible size so that they download quickly.
(c) Backgrounds
Make sure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie.
no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also
be careful that your links are visible before and after being
visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before
being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have
a dark background, ensure your links are light.
Stay away from busy backgrounds that distract from the
content. White is still the most popular choice for background
and it is so for a reason. It looks clean and is easy to read.
If you wish to add a little more oomph to your website, add
colourful headings or pictures.
(d) External Links
It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new
window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site
when they are finished browsing the external link.
(e) Site Map & Search Feature
If your website is more than 15 pages long, it is useful to
have a site map or a “Search” feature to ensure your visitors can
easily find what they’re looking for. A site map is simply a text
index of your website.
(f) Content is King
While it is important that your website looks clean and
professional, it is far more important that you concentrate your
efforts on the content and promotion. Don’t spend too much time
worrying about whether Betty Jones will like your buttons. She
has come to your website for information, not to criticise your
buttons and headings.
If you want a professional website, things to stay away from
include:
1. Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators,
animated mail boxes
2. Loads of pop up or pop under boxes
3. Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they
choose.
4. Hit counters of the free variety, which say “you are 27th
visitor”
5. Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or
weekly
6. Busy backgrounds.
7. What pages should I include my website?
Before you start thinking about what to write on each page of
your website, it is important that you create a plan, which lists
all the pages you wish to include. Below is a list of the most
commonly used pages:
(a) Home Page (First Page)
(b) Products / Services
(c) Contact Us
(d) Pricing
(e) Testimonials / Product Reviews / Before & After
(f) Frequently Asked Questions
(g) Response form such as “Subscribe” or “Enquiry” form
(h) On-line Magazine or Newsletter
(i) Resources/Articles
(j) About Us
(k) Guarantee
(l) Survey
(m) Events Calendar
(n) Search My Website Feature
(o) Return/Refund Policy
(p) Privacy Policy
(q) Site Map
(r) Copyright Information
(s) Links
(t) Media Information
(u) News
(v) On-line store
8. What’s a web hosting company? Do I need one?
A Web host is a company that provides server space for your
website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building.
The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial
building provides space for your shop or office. You can build
your own building and you can host your own website, but because
of the cost and expertise required it is easier to rent the
space. Without a web hosting company, nobody will be able to see
your website.
9. Do I really need a website?
If you consider the benefits, the answer is pretty clear:
(a) Save time – Don’t spend hours on the phone, direct
customers to your website, where you can provide all the
information they need. Whether it be your product or service
list, pricing, business hours or simply directions to your bricks
and mortar shop.
(b) Save money on advertising – Instead of paying for large
ads, simply advertise your website
(c) Be flexible in your message – Change the content as your
business changes. No need for expensive brochure or flyer
reprints.
(d) Save money on postage – Email customers news about your
products instead. It doesn’t cost you anything.
(e) Gain exposure to new customers – You will reach more local
clients as well as interstate and global markets.
(f) Have a more professional image – Keep up with the times and
your competitors. If your clients are asking whether you have a
website, now you can answer “I will tomorrow”.
(g) Have your business open 24/7. Provide customers
information when THEY need it. If you don’t someone else will.
10. How much does it cost to get a website?
The cost of the website generally depends on its functionality.
For example an informational website is much cheaper than a
website that features an on-line store. There are 3 components to
having a website:
(a) Domain name
(b) Webhosting
(c) Website Design
The costs are as follows:
(a) Domain name
Australian domain names (ie. “.com.au”, “.net.au”) cost $140 for 2
years
Global domain names (ie. “.com”, “.net” etc) cost $60 per year
(b) Webhosting
The price depends on the type and size of the website you
have. We can host your website for as little as $30 per month.
This covers 90% of small business’ needs.
(c) Website Design.
Again this depends on the size of the website and its
functionality. However, we can design a 3 page website for as
little as $165 and an on-line store from $800. For more pricing
details, visit:
http://www.web4business.com.au/Pricing.htm
11. How long will it take to get my website up and running?
Again this depends on the size of your website, but for a 3-10
page website the turnaround time is usually 3-7 business days.
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