FAQ's 

Here are some common questions asked about web site design.

Q: How long does it take to have a web site designed?

Q: What is an URL?

Q: What are the major steps in getting a web site up and running?

Q: I already have a web site but need some help. How can you help me?

Q: How do I get more people to find and visit my web site?

Q: How long does it take to have a web site designed?

A: It depends on the size of your web site and the complexity of your site design. A simple site can be up and running within a week, a lot more complicated one can take months!  When you ask for a free quote - we can give you an estimate on how long it will take to build your site - depending on the features you select.

Q: What is an URL?

A: It stands for "universal resource locator". This is the address typed into view your web page on the Internet.  For example, you would type in www.blackandtandog.com to access our home page. The "blackandtandog.com" is the domain name.

Q: What are the major steps in getting a web site up and running?

A: 1. Pick and register a domain name.

2. Pick a place to host your web site.

3. Think about what you want to accomplish with your site.  Do you just want an informational site to give your customers directions and information about your business or do you want to sell something?

4. Think about how you would like your web site to look.  Look at other web sites that have characteristics you appreciate and would like to incorporate into your own unique site.  Draft an outline on paper. The best websites are developed with clients that are intimately involved with their project.  Nobody knows your business better than you.

5. Understand that the more time and effort you spend planning your site, the more likely you are to have excellent results.  It is important to know who your primary audience will be, understand what they want, how they will find you, and convey relevant information effectively.

6. Have your ides put in a web based language - so all the other computers can read it!  We can help with that.  For a free quote fill out our web site design questionaire.

7. Finally, the web site must be published or uploaded.  This is the process of transferring the website from a local computer to your web host computer.

A: If you want to change something, we can quickly and easily log on to your current host (with your permission) or download your entire site.  Minor changes are easy; an entire makeover is more involved.  We can examine your current site and make suggestions for changes and updates.  Or we can start over with an entirely new design.

Q: How do I get more people to find and visit my web site?

A: First and most importantly, know your audience and consider their needs. Determine which other web sites they may already be visiting. Contact web administrators and set up a reciprocal link exchange.  This is mutually beneficial, inexpensive and easy.  Also, make sure your pages have appropriate keywords which accurately describe the content.  Search engines have "spiders" - programs which regularly search the web for sites to add to their database.  Sites are then categorized by a set of alphanumeric equations or logarithms.  These equations are changed regularly in order to be more accurate and keep individuals from abusing the system.  The process of fine tuning your web pages so they are show during a search is called Search Engine Optimization or SEO for short.  SEO is the most productive and cost-effective method for getting customers to your web site.