How do I get a domain name?

What is the process of getting a website?

How much does a website cost?

Do I need a computer to have a website?

Where will my website be hosted?

What about updating my website?

What is an ISP?

What is a browser?

What is a search engine ?

Will my website be placed high in the search engines?

How do I get a domain name?

Your domain name is like a mailbox. That's what everyone will use to find your webpage. Getting the right domain name is imperative and a bit challenging because your first choice may already be taken. That's why it's good to jot down 8 or 10 ideas. Make sure your "domain name" is short and catchy. It should be easy to read when printed and it should also be easy to remember when seen in an advertisement. If possible, as part of the domain name, it should have the main key word that would be used to search to find a website like yours. The cost of getting a domain name depends on where you get it. The average cost is around $10.

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What is the process of getting a website?

1. Before you get started, you may wish to look at other websites in order to get an idea of what styles you like. With your target audience in mind, think about what information is most important to have on your website. Think about colors, content, a logo, and photographs that you would like to include. If you are unsure about all that, don't worry. We will help you through the entire process.
   
   
2. Contact me by email so that we can discuss the ideas you have about how you would like your new website to look. At that time we can discuss hosting, layout and what pages you would like to include (i.e. "About us," "Our products and services," "Contact us," etc.) Once the general idea has been established of what your website will consist of, we will be able to provide you with an estimate of what the cost will be.
   
   
3. The best possible method for providing graphics is to supply computer images (either jpg or gif). If you don't have computer images -- brochures, photographs and other printed material will be fine. These items can be scanned achieving good quality. If you need photographs to be taken, we can provide that service for you.
   
   
4. As with images, it is best to provide text in an electronic format such as Microsoft Word or Notepad or an email. If however, you do not have any text online, you can provide hand written or printed material but that will slow down the process and in some cases cost more money.
   
   
5. Once a contract is signed, one third of the estimated cost will be due before the work begins.
   
   
6. When the initial template has been designed and approved along with a skeleton of the entire site, the second payment is due.
   
   
7. During the construction process, your website will be uploaded for preview. I will ask for your comments and/or changes via email or telephone. The work will continue until you are completely satisfied.
   
   
8. After receiving your approval and payment for the remaining balance, your website will be copied to the host of your choice!
   

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How much does a website cost?

Costs vary depending on the size and complexity of the site. An easy and thorough way to determine what your needs are can be accomplished by a short narrative of what you would like to have featured.

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Do I need a computer to have a website?

No. Your website is not stored on your computer. You will however need a computer connected to the internet to send and receive email.

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Where will my website be hosted?

The first step in getting a website is finding a good ISP to host your website. After that is done your website will be uploaded to the host where it will reside on a high speed computer known as a "server" that is connected to the internet 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If you don't already have a good hosting company, my recommendation is to look at www.ipower.com, I found them to be very good with great support.

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What about updating my website?

You may wish to update or change your website periodically. Website changes are billed on an hourly basis of $75 an hour with a one hour minimum.

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What is an ISP?

An ISP stands for Internet Sevice Provider. It is the hosting company for storing web applications and provides accesss to the Internet.

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What is a browser?

A software program used to view and interact with various types of Internet resources available on the World Wide Web. Netscape and Internet Explorer are two common examples.

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What is a search engine?

A search engine is a website where you can type in words and phrases called "key words" to help you find what you're looking for on the Internet. Some popular search engines are Lycos , Infoseek , HotBot , AltaVista and Google .

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Will my website be placed high in the search engines?

It all depends how much direct competition exists on the internet. Although there are no guarantees, everything will be done to optimize your website by embedding meta tags and keywords , as well as utilizing alt tags, headers and placing special wording in strategic places on your webpage so that you have a good chance of ranking high in the most popular search engines.

Although fancy flash introductions or "splash pages" may look pretty, they may prevent your website from ranking high in the search engines.

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