We know building a web site can feel like a daunting task.
Here are answers to some common questions. We want to make the site design process as smooth as possible.
- How would building my site work?
- What is a internet domain?
- What is a web host or server?
- Can't find your answer here?
How would building my site work?
First things first. To start things off, we discuss with you what you want your site to look like. Draw a picture, show us some other sites you like, what ever it takes, we just need to know the general direction we should go. Tell us your requirements, we need to know what you want to do with the site.
Import your style. Your business likely already has a logo, image and set of colors. We can take all those things and work it into your design, so when someone visits your site, they immediately associate it with your business. Its called Branding, and it works. If you don't already have a logo and set of colors for your business, don't worry, we'll help you develop them.
Add your content. Now its time for the meat and potato's of the site. With the content you give us, we fill the pages with exactly what your visitors are looking for. The content of your pages is the most important factor of your site. It has to stay current, it has to be direct and it has to be relevant. The actual text on your website is what search engines use to rank your pages, so make sure your actually talking about what your offering.
Make it shine. Sometimes simple is best, sometimes you need to add a bit of pizzazz. As your site develops, we work with you to tweak the amount of multimedia and special effects your pages will have. We'll find just the right balance of eye catching style, and information providing content.
Punish it. Next we try to make it fail. We'll try all sorts of tricks to make the site perform. We do this to ensure that no matter what computer, with any operating system, using any internet browser, your site will perform as intended. You never want a visitor to be turned away because they can't view the site correctly.
Publish it. The step you've been waiting for. After publishing your site to your web host, its now available to the world! By the time we reach this step, we'll have had many revisions of your pages and now it should looks it's best.
Promote it. Finally, now that the site is online, we need to advertise it. What good is a website if nobody can find it right? After optimizing the search criteria, we submit your site to all the search engines. Depending on the search engine, you should see your site appear within a few weeks. That's not the end of it though. You will need to promote your site as well. Using different techniques, you'll spread the word that you're now online... word of mouth is a powerful thing!
What is an internet domain?
An internet domain is the unique address of a web site, think of it as the phone number of the site. This can be either a text address or number address, such as: www.skypilotdesign.com or http://192.168.0.100. Just like your phone number, you can point your domain name to any web host or folder you want. You can also have multiple domains point to the same destination, for example; www.skypilotdesign.com and www.skypilotdesign.ca. This helps people find your site and prevents your site name from being taken by someone else with a different extension. Internet domains are registered and billed on an annual basis.
What is a web host?
Web sites must be available to visitors on the internet 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. To achieve this, you need a web host or server. A web host is a computer that stores your web site, and is constantly connected to the internet. When someone types your web site address (domain), they are directed to the folder on the web host server, which stores your site. Hosting services bill on a monthly basis, but usually offer discounts for longer terms.
A website with a unique web site address like: www.yourcompany.com can cost as little as $5!
In today's culture, most people looking for a product or service try a web search before the yellow pages.
- Updated:
December 27, 2007