COMMON QUESTIONS ON WEB DESIGN      COMMON QUESTIONS ON COMPUTER TRAINING

Common Questions About Web Design

How much does a web site cost?

Imagine asking a car salesman, "How much is a car?" A Kia costs less than an Acura, but the Acura is less than the Mercedes. The answer depends on what kind of car you want or need and even the options or add-ins on any particular model.

The same holds true for a web site. If you ask a designer how much it will cost, the designer will likely ask you dozens of questions to learn more about your goals and needs before generating a price quote.

Just as many people research cars to find what model has the style and features they want, you should look at web sites to find sites that have features and style you desire for your site.

Sites vary greatly in complexity so it is difficult to provide an absolute price list for a web site. We meet with you, at no charge, to discuss your needs and the goals for your site. With this information, we generate a price quote for you.

Once we discuss the quote and come to an agreement on the work and the price for that work.  We guarantee that the work agreed upon will be completed for that price.

Contact us for a free consultation.

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Do I need a web site?

For most businesses, the answer is, "Yes, you need a web site."  Clients and potential clients are looking for information online.  Existing clients may need more information.  If you don't have a web site - they cannot find you online.

According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 63% of adults in the US (128 Million) use the Internet regularly.  And 63% of Americans expect that a business will have a web site that gives them information about a product they are considering buying.  These numbers will only increase.  The Internet is not a fad, but a growing resource with -by some estimates- more than 8 billion web pages available today.

This is from the Pew Internet and American Life Project:

The Web has become the “new normal” in the American way of life; those who don’t go online constitute an ever-shrinking minority. And as the online population has grown rapidly, its composition has changed rapidly. At the infant stage, the Internet’s user population was dominated by young, white men who had high incomes and plenty of education. As it passed into its childhood years in 1999 and 2000, the population went mainstream; women reached parity and then overtook men online, lots more minority families joined the party, and more people with modest levels of income and education came online.

The full report provides great data.  Download a PDF of the report.  (Acrobat Reader Required)

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My customers are local - based in Westmoreland County, PA.  Do I really need a web site?

For most businesses - even businesses with local clients - the answer is YES!  You do need a web site.  People are looking for information online.  If you want them to find you, you must have a web site!  InWestmoreland.com is a great solution if your customers are located in Westmoreland County PA, Greensburg, Irwin, Latrobe, Jeannette, Ligonier, Scottdale, or Mount Pleasant. 

If you are looking for a web presence without incurring the expenses of a full web site, consider an InWestmoreland package. These pages range from a small mini-page to a two page site, and range in price from $100 to $275 per year (all costs included). Learn more about Westmoreland County's Premier Web Directory.

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Why do I need a web site?  What good is it?

There could be many different reasons for having a web site. 

• Promote products and services to new customers.
• Web sites provide credibility and a professional image.
• Service existing customers
• Provide information about your business 24 hours a day
• Increases the value of your advertising.
• Sell product online

Promoting your products and services to new customers is very important to your business.  Selling products online can be a very cost effective way to increase sales. The web site provides an effective way to communicate with clients at their convenience.  A web site can also be a very efficient tool for providing information to your current customers too.

A good professional web site provides credibility.  It's like having a stunning outdoor sign and a professional business card.  If you want to look professional, you need a website.

An effective web site increases the value of your advertising because all of your ads and promotional materials point readers to your website.  Your yellow pages ad may not have much room, but if the web address is there, a potential client can learn everything about your business - without even picking up the phone.

When we meet to discuss your web site project, we work with you to establish the goals for your web site.  Contact Computers Made Easy to learn more or for a free consultation.

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Why do I need a professional web site designer?  My neighbor/nephew/son will make one for me.

When greeting a new client, you don’t show up in jeans and a t-shirt. The aisles of your store are probably not cluttered and disorganized. You have worked hard to build a sense of professionalism in the physical aspects of your business, and you want your marketing materials to reflect the same professionalism.

Websites are no different. From look to layout, your website speaks to your customers. By its appearance and content, it tells them things about your capabilities and even the courtesy they might experience in dealing with you. If your website comes across as amateurish and annoying, why should they expect more in dealing with your company? Projecting a professional image is a key consideration in developing an effective website.

Most amateur web designers are neither professional graphic designers, nor are they experienced in search engine optimization, or even professional writing.  The basics of web design can be picked up quickly by amateurs, just as a video camera is a relatively easy tool to learn.  Most businesses, however, would not want their TV spot filmed by someone with less than professional credentials.  It is the same with web-design. While technical know-how is important, many other skills are needed.

At Computers Made Easy, we combine professional design skills with professional copy writing skills to make effective, professional sites.  See our web design portfolio.

I don't know much about computers.  What do I need to do?

You do not need to know about computers to get a web site for your business.  You need to know about your business - we handle all the stuff about computers!  All you need to do is contact us.  We'll set up free consultation to discuss your web site design project.  We discuss your goals and start to learn about your business.

We find that our computer training experience helps us to explain the many issues involved with a web site.  We explain the abstract or complex concerns in an easy-to-understand way.

Download a PDF file called When Considering a Website (Adobe Acrobat Required) to learn more about issues you should be aware of.

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Will I get new business from my web site?

It is likely that, over time, you will get new business from your website.  It is not likely that you will be overwhelmed with work the day your site is published.  A website is not a get-rich-quick scheme; it is a professional resource for your business.  The longer your website is online, the better it will do in searches (one of many factors).  If the goal of your website is to attract new business, that must be taken into consideration during design.

When we discuss the goals for your web site, it may be decided that attracting new business is a priority for your site.  Or it may not be.  That is largely up to you.

Your website is just one tool in your marketing plan.  While it is a powerful tool, it must be used in conjunction with other marketing tools to increase the sales for your business.

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How long does it take to get a web site?

This is another difficult question to answer.  It depends on the type of site, the size of the site, and the amount of content we are creating for you.  It also depends largely on how quickly you respond to our questions, review design materials and draft text, as well as approve work in development.

We have completed small informational sites in just two or three weeks.  Other sites are in development for up to six to eight months.  Average sites are in development for two to three months.

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What do I need to do? How does it work?

You have essentially three main tasks: Communication, supplying information and materials, and reviewing our work.  We've written a few documents to help you through the process.

For more information, download the PDF file Making the Most of Your Website.

We've outlined the process of getting a website for you as well.

If you have any questions, contact Computers Made Easy and we'll be happy to answer them for you.

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What happens after my web site is finished?

Finished?  A website is a little like a house.  It's never really finished!  Just like a house, a website needs constant maintenance to keep it up-to-date.  That may mean quarterly, monthly, weekly, or even daily changes depending on your type of business.  Maintenance is an important consideration for your website.

Promotion is also an important aspect of your website, just as it is in other parts of your business.  You wouldn't put up a sign (with no other advertising) and expect a major increase in business.  You should not expect your website to create instant business without promotion - both online and offline promotion.

Your website is the central source of information for everything about your company. Think of your website as the hub of your "marketing" wheel. All of the spokes on your marketing wheel point toward its all important center, where the information is!  Every ad, invoice, letterhead, business card, coupon, packing slip, or sign should lead readers to your website.

For more information, download the PDF file Making the Most of Your Website.

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Will my site be found in search engines?

Legitimate web designers and SEOs (Search Engine Optimizers) will not make guarantees that your website will appear in search engines in any specific position.  You can buy your way into paid listings, but you can not buy your way into natural or organic search listings.

Search engines do not explain the complex algorithms they use to determine natural listings. (And all search engines use different formulas.)  However, there are some generally accepted techniques that help your website rank well in the searches.

We work hard to design and develop well optimized sites.  Good content, focused on effective keywords along with good structure are important.  We also submit your website to several major directories and searches.  We link Pittsburgh and Greensburg based businesses on our own InWestmoreland.com directory of businesses and services.

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How do you make sure it shows up in searches?

The single most important thing we can do to assure your website searches well is write good, useful, focused content.  Depending on your needs and your budget, we work with you to make certain assumptions about keywords for your site.  For more competitive keywords and better funded sites, we do keyword research to find the most effective keywords.

We construct websites that are structurally sound with good page titles, tags, and formatting.

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I have a web site, but I don't like it.  Can you redesign my web site?

Yes, we've redesigned a number of websites for clients throughout Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Westmoreland County.  We redesign websites to improve the interface, the content, the visual image, or the technical aspects of a website.   See our web design portfolio to see our website designs and website redesigns.  Contact us for a free consultation.

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I have a web site, but it's not found in search engines.  Can you fix my site?

It's likely that we could help you.  Often we redesign sites to perform better in search engines.  This process is called SEO or Search Engine Optimization.  Generally if your site does not perform well, we need to research keywords and create good, useful content.  We review the technical aspects of the site and improve these as well.  Contact us and we will discuss your website needs with you.

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I have a web site that needs updated.  Can you do that?

Yes we frequently maintain websites developed by other web developers.  In order to update your web site, we will need information about your web site host, and your username and password.

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How often should I update my web site?

Frequency of website updates depends on you, your customers, and your business needs.  If you want to list weekly specials, your website would need updated weekly.  On the other hand, you may have monthly updates, or every so often you may want to make a change.  We have some clients who regularly schedule maintenance and others that call or email when changes are needed.

We even have a web-editing tool that allows website owners to perform their own updates (easily and with virtually no technical knowledge) in specific blocks on their website.  See www.1480wcns.com for an example.

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Where are your clients located?

Many clients prefer to work with a local web designer.  There are advantages to working locally.  It can be easier to get information and pictures from a local business - we often visit southwestern Pennsylvania client locations to learn more about their business.

However, we have pleased many wonderful clients that we've never even met!  Electronic communication (email), phones, and faxes allow for excellent communication even when it's not face to face.  Several of our best web design clients are outside of Pennsylvania - as far as Ohio and Massachusetts.

We have clients from Allegheny County, Westmoreland County, Washington County, Indiana County, Butler County, and the Harrisburg area in Pennsylvania.  We also have website clients from Cleveland OH, Gallipolis OH, Canton MA.  Here is a list of cities where we have satisfied clients.
 

See a more complete list of towns in our web design area of service.