Why not do a search on one of the major search engines, such as google or yahoo, and see what your competitors are up to - if they have a website and you don't, they are probably taking business away from you!
Your website is often the first impression an internet user has of your company. A professional website design, just like your company letterhead, logo, and company stationery, should project a distinct and positive image on those who view them, and your company's website should also entice your visitors to learn more about your company and to conduct business with your organization.
Read more on the benefits of establishing a web presence.
Will the internet continue to grow?
All indications are that the Internet will continue to grow. Most of our day to day activities can now be completed on the Internet. An example of this is grocery shopping from the major supermarkets, and paying your bills online.
Think of when the fax machines was introduced to business. When only a few had them and not everyone needed them, however, when the majority had them then others had to have them to keep in step. Increasing ease of use, reducing costs and technological advances will aid the continued growth.
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What are the demographics of people using the internet?
Courtesy of the Internet World Stats (www.internetworldstats.com)
| Year |
Population |
Users |
% of
Population |
| 2000 |
281,421,903 |
124,000,000 |
44% |
| 2001 |
285,317,559 |
142,823,008 |
50% |
| 2002 |
288,368,698 |
167,196,688 |
58% |
| 2003 |
290,809,777 |
172,250,000 |
59% |
| 2004 |
293,271,500 |
201,661,159 |
69% |
| 2005 |
299,093,237 |
203,824,428 |
68% |
The "Internet Work Stats" estimates that in 2007 the percentage of internet usage will grow to 70% of the population, that is an increase of 86 million users from 2000.
Why should I hire a professional web designer?
A professional web designer will save you time and will maximize your presence on the web, allowing you to concentrate on growing your business or organization.
Web Design is unique in that it requires extensive knowledge in coding, marketing, and in designing graphics specifically for the Internet. Each page must be optimized for the search engines, which requires a great deal of continuous education since the search engines are constantly changing their algorithms and indexing methods. Properly marketing a website online, continues long after the site goes live, online promotion requires a lot of time, of which you might have very little to spare!
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Why should I work with Virtually Focused Solutions?
We realize there are many companies that do website design and so it can be a difficult decision to make. We are set apart from other companies by the level of customer service we offer once your website is in place as well as quick response time in doing website updates. We will support your site for 30 days after your site goes live on the internet, and guarantee a response to an email within 8 hours of receiving it.
Of course, our costs are very affordable compared to other companies. We also are able to handle all components of getting your website up and running, from registering your domain name to setting up your web hosting account.
Our goal is to offer professional services at truly competitive prices, while staying on top of the current trends and technologies in the market. We have hands-on experience with the following software for web development and design:
Web Authoring:
Macromedia Dreamweaver 8, Adobe GoLive, Macromedia Flash Professional 8
MS Frontpage, HTML
Graphic Tools:
Adobe Photoshop, Image Ready and Flash 8, Fireworks
Publishing Tools
Adobe Illustrator CS2,In Design, LiveCycle Designer, MS Office, Wordperfect,
Adobe Designer, Adobe Acrobat
Database Development
Access, Paradox, PHP and MySQL
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Can I Afford a Website?
There are various levels of website development, starting off with a basic brochure website up to a large e-commerce website with full flash animations. We make having your own website design a truly affordable possibility. We always provide the highest quality service regardless of cost. From small brochure sites to large e-commerce projects, we are dedicated to providing the best possible service, at an affordable price. You should not have to sacrifice quality for cost.
Compare for yourself the website packages we have to offer.
What is included in the price of a website ?
Make sure you ask the web designer what the proposed pr
ice covers. It should include the page layout, image and logo manipulation, transfer of your pages to your web host server and submission to the search engines and directories using the META tags the web designer formatted. In reality, it should cover your website project beyond Internet launch!
If a web designer quotes an hourly fee, remember that your final invoice might be higher than your initial quote, plus there might be hidden fees for search engine submission and other miscellaneous services.
Virtually Focused Solutions offer package pricing so you know up front what your website project will cost. One-time manual search engine submission is included in our set price.
What are the differences between Basic, Dynamic, Interactive, and Supporting Pages?
Basic Pages are web pages that only contain graphics, text, and basic HTML elements. These pages are still formatted to give a professional image, but they do not contain advanced features such as rollover style menus. They will not have any sections that change or move.
Dynamic Pages typically require client side scripting such as javascript which have more animation effects such as rollover graphics and moving text. A Dynamic Page can have movable parts or sections that can change as the user interacts with them.
Interactive Pages typically accept input from the user. They may also enter information into a database, automatically send and email, or display data taken from a database or another site. Many pages in an e-commerce site are interactive.
Supporting Pages are pages used to prevent other pages from becoming too large and unmanageable. These type of pages include external CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), Frame set Pages, and External JavaScript Libraries.
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How long will it take to design my website?
The time frame is determined by the size of your website, the complexity of your site design, and how long it takes you to gather and organize the content for your website. When we send the project estimate, it will include a projected time line so you can see when each phase of the design will be completed. Please see our Design Process for more information.
What is a URL?
URL stands for "universal resource locator." This is the address typed in to view your web page on the Internet. For example, you would type in http://www.virtuallyfocused.com to access our home page. If you do not already have a domain name registered, we can help you through the process by researching name availability and setting up the name registration.
What is a W3C?
The World Wide Web Consortium is the main standards organization for the World Wide Web.
How do I choose a domain name?
Most companies choose their company name or a name that identifies their category of business. This name should be selected with care as it will become an integral part of your business image.
When selecting a domain name remember to:
- Keep it short and simple
- Consider using your business name
- It should be easy to read and easy to say
- consider using keywords of your business products or services
- It should be catchy and easy to remember
Why do I need my website hosted?
Website hosting is the service provided to allow Internet users to access your site. Once the design and development of your website is complete and the pages are ready to be uploaded to the Internet, they must then be transferred to a larger computer called a server.
Web hosting is a monthly or annual fee that you pay to have your site accessible on the Internet. We can help you choose an affordable yet reliable host that meets your needs. The web host that is chosen also determines what type of web statistics are available to you.
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What is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is the process of promoting a business online to achieve better search engine rankings for relevant, targeted keywords. Search engine optimization refers to optimizing the programming code and content of a website for both search engines and visitors in order to attain higher rankings than competing websites. Search engine optimization will increase qualified traffic and generate customer enquiries that ultimately convert to sales.
How long does it take to get listed with the major search engines?
Following is an estimated time frame of getting a site listed with the major search engines, once you site have been submitted:
- MSN - up to 2 months
- Google - 6 weeks
- Altavista - 2 weeks
- Excite - 2 weeks
- Northern Light - 4 weeks
- Hot Bot - 2 months
- AOL - 2 months
- Iwon - 2 months
What are META tags?
Every page should have minimum three META tags in the header of your website: the Title, Description and Keywords tags. META tags are an important part of your page which allows your website to be found by search engines and directories when someone performs a search. You should never have to pay extra for META tags.
How will people discover my site?
Just having a website is no guarantee that it will work for you. And it certainly won't work if your prospective customers can't find it. Be prepared to advertise your site in your normal communications with your target audience. Include your web address [www.yourwebsite.com] on all of your business printed material, such as letterhead and your business cards, as well as on any signs that displays your name.
If you advertise in print, show the web address as part of your other contact information. All your emails should include a link to your website, so that people can visit your website when they receive your email. What better time for someone to visit your website, than when they are already on the internet?
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How will people discover my site?
We offer website maintenance plans to update your website, or you can choose to do your own. If we know in advance that you would like to be able to maintain your website, we will discuss various options available that will allow you to update the page from your own computer.
How do I get started?
The first step to getting us focused on you web project is to simply fill out and submit the Website Planning Worksheet, along with any marketing materials you currently provide your customers such as flyers, brochures, contact letters and business cards.
After reviewing your information, we will discuss the appearance and details of your website needs and prepare a Website Services Proposal for you review.
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