Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Below are answers to some of the frequently asked questions we have been asked about websites design and
maintenance for a small business and the design services we can provide.
The main reason is that a website is a very cost-effective way to provide information to your current
customers and attract potential new customers. Today, when people need to find information about a
business, like their address, phone number or business hours, they start by checking their website.
Similarly, when people are researching a product/service, they start by googling for companies
providing that product/service. Twenty years ago, people used the Yellow Pages for these things,
today they use the internet.
For many small businesses, a "brochure type" website is a great cost-effective solution. Such a site
is essentially an electronic brochure where you can showcase your products/services to everyone on the
internet. Sites like this are typically 4 and 10 pages in size and use text and photos to highlight
your products/services. Depending on the business, the site will include a company history, business
hours, business address, map/directions, phone and email contact information, customer comments,
portfolio of work, or other information useful to existing and new customers.
The basic steps for creating a website are the same for all websites but the cost really depends on a
website's size and complexity. This question is similar to asking a home builder how much it would
cost to build a house for you. The answer will depend on how big the house is along with its special
features like crown molding, granite counter tops, hardwood floors and radiant floor heating.
In reality, your website can cost as little or as much as you like. Similar to a building a house,
the cost of a website depends on how big it is (both number of pages and amount of contents on each
page) and how many special features on the website. But that doesn't mean you have to spend a
small fortune to have an effective website.
There are three basic parts involved in creating a website:
- Domain Name Registration - A domain name is your website's name on the internet. In other words, it is a name like "PABWebSolutions" that goes between the "www." and ".com" in a web address. Domain names must be unique and are essentially leased on a yearly basis. The cost to lease (the official term is "register") a domain name is about $20 per year.
- Website Design - This is the part of the process where a web designer works with you to create a website to your individual needs and desires. The result of this effort is a set of computer files that together generate the text and graphic content on a website's individual pages. This website design effort is a one-time cost and can run from $100 to $5000 or more, depending on number of pages and the special features.
- Website Hosting - Once the website design is complete, the resulting set of computer files are copied on a powerful computer ("website host") which is connected to the internet. These files can then be read by a browser like Internet Explorer or Google Chrome to display the various pages on the website. For a small business, the cost for website hosting typically runs $8 to $10 per month, but it could be more based on website functionality and the number of visitors that might access the site at the same time.
Adding these three parts, the total initial cost for a new "small business" website typically runs
between $250 to $750. This amount includes the costs of first year cost for Domain Name Registration
and full year of Website Hosting.
In general, there is a fixed cost of about $120 a year to keep an existing "small business"
website on-line. This amount is cost for the annual renewal of the Domain Name Registration and
monthly cost of Website Hosting.
You can significantly reduce the fixed cost if you select a yearly Website Hosting plan and
pay up-front for one or more years of service. With one popular hosting company, a three-year
service plan is $179 which translates into a little less than $60/year.
In addition to the fixed cost to keep the website on-line, there is also a potential variable cost for
Website Maintenance. This activity is very similar to the Website Design activity
described in the previous answer except this one involved modifying or adding the text and graphic
content of an existing website.
Most "small business" websites only require maintenance when you want to change or add something. For
example, your phone number's area code has changed or you want add another page describing a new
product or service. Simple changes to an existing page cost as little as $25; new pages or more complex
changes typically cost $50 to $150 per page.
Yes, there are several things that can be done to reduce the costs. We have experience working with
individuals in this exact situation - they are trying to start a business and want a website, but have
limited financial resources are their disposal. We know ways to decrease both the initial
up-front investment as well as the recurring costs to keep a website on-line.
If you just starting out and are in a similar position, please contact us and we will work with you to
see what we can do to help you. We have both no-cost and low-cost options for Website Hosting
and we may consider trading our design services for your products/services.
It typically takes 1 to 3 weeks to complete the design of a "small business" website and get it
on-line. If necessary, a website can be finished in a much shorter time if the client and us work closely
together to minimize the time spent waiting for inputs needed at each the step of the design process.
Once go-ahead is received, we can usually mock-up a couple design alternatives in a day or two and
provide them to the client for review and comment. After receiving feedback, we normally have a
prototype version of the website up and running in a day or two.
The most common delay in the design process is waiting for the client to provide the content (both
text and photos/images) needed to complete the individual web pages. Unfortunately, most people
underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete this effort. Other individuals dislike
writing and will endlessly procrastinate even starting this task. In that case, we sometimes will
write a first draft
for them and let them revise it.
There is no real limit to how many web pages you can have on a website. However, the more pages your
website contains, the more it will cost you for the initial website design effort.
For a "small business" website, the typical size is 4 and 10 pages. While you can have more pages, it
is important to logically arrange the pages so visitors can easily navigate them and find what they are
looking for. Equally important, each page should be well organized and contain information useful to
the typical visitor.
Absolutely yes - we will be happy to take a look at what you have done and make a quick assessment of the
effort needed to complete the website. Please contact us and we will see how we can help you.
And don't feel bad about having this happen. A fair number of individuals have approached us for help
after one or more unsuccessful attempts to design their website.
Trying to do your own website design & maintenance is similar to trying to repair your own car. While some
individuals have the knowledge and tools for it, the average person is better off finding a professional
to do the job.
Yes, but there is a caveat to this answer.
While we can make changes to most any website, the cost of those updates is very dependent on how the
website was initially built. Specifically, what tools and/or technologies were originally used to
design and implement the website.
If we are familiar with those tools and technologies, we should be able to make the desired changes
for a reasonable cost. Conversely, if the site was built using something we don't use, like
Flash-based animation, we will recommend that you find someone else to make the updates.
For updates to an existing website, the best approach is to contact us. After getting some basic
information and a general idea of the desired changes, we will do a quick assessment and let you
how we can help you.