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1. Is advertising on the Web effective?
Yes -- cost effective! Operating a Web site can cost less than you think and the possibilities are endless. From market research to product distribution, from customer services to promotions and sales -- having a Web site establishes a dynamic presence for your organization on the Internet limited only by your imagination.
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2. What audience can I reach with a Web site?
Here are some statistics about Internet users to give you an idea of your potential audience:
- In January 2000 over 172 million Americans spent 2.8 billion dollars online.
- The average Web surfer is 36 years old with a household income of $53,000.
- Nearly half of all Internet users earn more than $50,000 a year.
- Half of all Internet users are married.
- 48% of users surf the Net one to four times a day. 39% use it more often than that.
- One in five Web surfers use their browsers more than 25 hours a week.
- 61% of Internet users report using the Web to research information for work.
- 50% of Internet users report using the Web to plan trips.
- 41% of Internet users buy something online.
- 71% of Internet users go online to research products and services rather than using a local directory. Reasons cited for preferring to look online are convenience, availability of information, lack of sales pressure, and time savings.
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3. How does a Web page work?
A Web page is written using HTML (HyperText Mark-up Language). HTML is composed of a set of elements (tags) that define a document and guide its display. Essentially, HTML controls and instructs your Web browser -- telling it how to display the information it's given (i.e., text, graphics, sound, etc.).
While HTML is the foundation of the construction of a Web page, additional coding techniques such as JavaScript and CGI (forms, guestbooks, etc.) can be employed to make a Web page more interactive for the viewer.
What makes the Web unique is the ability to link pages together or jump to an entirely different, unrelated page by using a Hypertext link. A commercial Web site might have several Web pages linked together starting from their homepage or main menu page. The information an organization's Web page could convey includes:
- Information about the company and its history.
- Details of its products and services.
- Technical support, customer service, or frequently asked questions.
- Order forms for purchases, response forms for inquiries, or a guestbook.
One of the advantages of a Web site is its dynamic nature, allowing it to evolve as your organization evolves since changes or updates can be implemented easily.
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4. I hear that designing Web pages isn't that tough. Why should I pay someone to create and/or maintain my Web site?
Designing Web pages is easy. Designing good Web pages is difficult. A professional Web designer has a background in graphic design, knowledge of HTML and other design programming languages (such as JavaScript, CGI, Dynamic HTML, PHP, ASP, etc.). More importantly, a professional designer understands how to design a Web site that will most effectively present you, your business or organization, and your products and services.
Here are some things to take into consideration:
- Even with an off-the-shelf design software package, you'll have to know some HTML in order to be able to make the page appear just as you want it.
- You'll also need a professional graphics package to design and manipulate your images. You'll have to learn about different image formats, palettes, and how to reduce file sizes for quicker downloads.
- You'll need to learn about search engines, Web directories, and how to promote your site. You'll need to understand meta tags and work out the tips and tricks for maximizing your site's visibility.
As you can see, a professionally designed and implemented Web site is worth what you pay for it if you are serious about attracting business with your Web site.
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5. Isn't Web design awfully expensive?
Not at all. In fact, Web design at Envision2000 is quite reasonable. For instance, a typical small business web design package includes custom graphic design of up to 5 pages for around $800.
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6. What's the first step in commissioning a Web site?
The first thing to do is to give some thought in advance to what you want your Web site to accomplish. The point of this exercise is to realistically assess and prioritize the goals of placing your organization online. Here are a few questions you may want to answer:
Is it your intention to:
- Provide comprehensive information about your product or service?
- Directly sell products from your site?
- Reach new markets or clientele?
- Provide online "customer support" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
- Do market research by gathering visitor feedback?
- Give employees internal information?
- Post job opportunities?
- All of the above?
Once you have an idea of what you want, contact us so we can begin discussing with you how we can bring our expertise to fulfilling your vision.
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7. What if we occasionally need to make changes?
This is called "Web site maintenance." You may either outsource the job to us and we'll make changes for you on an as needed basis, or you may make those changes yourself if you have the necessary equipment and expertise. We are also able to install web-based administration features that will allow you to make changes to certain areas of your site from your browser. Some typical areas include news releases, articles, FAQ’s, and more. If this interests you, just ask for this ability and we will explain the options to you in detail.
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8. We have a Web site, but it's not doing much for us. What can you do to improve things?
We specialize in makeovers -- taking an existing Web site and transforming it into a productive, attractive and profitable business tool. We can also provide a professional Web site evaluation and make suggestions for improvement.
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9. Why should I choose Envision2000 to design my Web site?
Our team designs and writes custom scripts, databases, HTML, and multimedia. We can help with content or work with content you provide. Better yet, we can take charge of all aspects of your Web site -- from design and hosting to promotion and maintenance -- offering you the convenience of keeping all aspects of your Web site under one roof.
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10. Can I see some examples of your design work?
Yes. View our portfolio page on this site for a list of our recent projects. We're proud of their visual appeal and impact.
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