We provide a full-service resource for your web site needs. Here are some decisions you'll want to consider as you prepare to do business on the world wide web.

What do you want your web site to do?

The strategy for your web site is perhaps one of the most important decisions you will make.  This depends on numerous factors having to do primarily with the way you operate your business.  The important thing to remember is that your web site should be an integral part of your overall marketing and customer service plan.  It should convey the look, feel  and the culture of your business.

Do you need a domain name for your site?

All web sites have an address.  You probably know many of them by now.  Until recently, all business sites with their own domain name had the extension "com."  Now, with the rapid growth of the internet, domain names are expanding to other extensions.  There are ways to have a web site hosted by another service, such as CompuServe or America Online and many other Internet Service Providers (ISP's).   These sites are generally smaller than commercial sites and they have fewer capabilities.  Even so, for the small business, such a web site can be quite economical, providing a presence on the internet at little to no additional cost than the ISP service, itself.

For the company committed to a business web site, it is generally preferable to have a unique domain name ... so the internet address would be, for example "yourcompany.com."  This involves registration of the name for the domain and registration through the organization(s) which assign and control these domain names.  The largest of these organizations is Verisign (formerly Network Solutions). We are affiliated with this firm. If you want to register your domain name to prevent it being taken, but you are not ready to put the site into operation, we can handle that for you, as well.

To register your web site, simply click here and fill in the desired name of your site on the form ... then click on the "go" button.

How will your web site function?

There are web sites that convey only basic information with ways to contact the company by phone, e-mail or mail for more information or to order products and services.  There are web sites that include detailed descriptions of products and services, including order forms and many other features.   The variations are endless.  Generally, the more features a site has, the greater its cost to originate and to maintain.

How about web commerce security?

Security on the internet has become a "hot" topic, and rightfully so.  People are hesitant to send personal information, such as credit card information, over the net unless they have assurances that the transmission of that data is secure.  If your business accepts credit cards for orders and your want to take orders through your web site, a secure server arrangement is probably a "must."

What other features do you need?

Here again, the list of choices is a big one.   Your site can do just about anything you want it to.  For example, you might have noticed, or even joined, our e-mail list that develops an automated list of those people who visit the site who would like to receive direct communications.  There are "hit counters" that register the number of times the site has been visited.   There are graphics, email forms, chat rooms, and many other ways to attract the interest and build the services offered by your site. We can even give your site a "voice" - using streaming media. Your visitors can be shown animated presentations, with sound - similar to the ones at our own site. It's up to you, but we can help you with the decision process.

How will you design your web site?

There are numerous options here as well.   With the development of software that virtually eliminates the need to know "HTML" (the language used by the internet), many firms are designing their own web sites.  Generally, this approach is feasible for the small company having a fairly simple web site.  For the company needing more, or the firm recognizing the advantages of having experts do the job, a web site design company is the way to go.   Often, time and resource allocation is the deciding factor, with companies electing to seek design help while their core staff goes about the work they know best, running the business.

Do you want to e-mail capabilities using your domain address?

Most web site hosting companies provide the option to handle e-mail through your domain name, if you have decided to have a unique domain name.  This way, your company and staff can receive e-mail at specific addresses that have the domain extension.

For example ... sales@yourcompany.com ... or johndoe@yourcompany.com.  There is usually an additional charge for this feature.

What will it cost?

Going it alone can mean the cost of software and the time involved for you or your staff to design the site.  There may be additional costs involved in the hardware used to develop the site.  For example, to include customized graphic images such as photos of your business, a scanner may be required, or a service bureau retained to scan to data files the images you want to include.  In addition, the ongoing cost of hosting the site must be included.

Selecting a firm to help with your site's development will require estimates because of the tremendous variables among site designs. Some design companies work only by the hour, while others provide not-to-exceed estimates.  Keep in mind, building a web site is much like purchasing any other customized item.  The better one is able to define precisely what is needed, the closer the estimates will come to the eventual cost.

What about hosting the web site?   Should you do it yourself, or have a company host the site for you?

For all but the largest of companies, this is an easy question to answer.  The hosting of the files to make a web site accessible on the internet is a very specialized task, requiring specialized hardware and people to maintain the reliability necessary to have constant availability of your site.  We strongly recommend our clients retain a hosting service, and we provide this as part of our web program.

We have a comprehensive system to help you plan your site.

Because we do this all the time, we've developed planning tools that speed the process and ensure nothing is left to chance ... or left out. Talk to us about your web site. It's the best first step you can take.