Many people starting out developing a web site for their business have many questions.  Here are some of the more frequently asked questions that we have encountered and answers that we hope are  straightforward and to the point.

What is a Web Site?
How can a Web Site Help?
What is a Domain Name?
What are Search Engines?
What are Hosting Plans?
Will The Internet Benefit Your Business?
Do You need to Have a Computer?
Do You need to be On-line?
What Costs Are Involved?
What Does StoneCastle Productions Have to Offer?
 

What is a Web Site

 It is basically your company's window to the world or simply your promotional material displayed on anyone's computer screen.  It is placed  on-line within a hosting service and is available to all those seeking information about your product or service .......  OPEN 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. A standard site comprises custom illustrations or photographs, graphics, concise and well defined text, navigational  systems, contact forms, secure on-line order forms and an e-mail facility. Larger and more detailed sites may benefit from having newsletters, discussion forums, electronic mailing lists or real-time talk facilities.

A  well designed and constructed web site or home page places your company on world view. With a potential readership  of literally millions covering virtually every country, your page or site is there to be seen if marketed correctly and placed with a reputable hosting service. Your product and service has the potential to reach a global marketplace, as well as an  extensive home-based market. By giving your advertising business to a web designer you work with them to produce an  end product with which you are happy and you can explain exactly what you have in mind and what your expectations are of this medium.

 A domain name is the unique address given to every web page and used to find a web site on the Internet. There are several types available. You can have a domain name with your  Internet Service Provider and this shows up at the end of your own domain with your email address or nominated name. For example if our email address were manny@softshoes.com then our web site would have the address: http://www.softshoes.com. Some domain names are spoken for and a search of registered domain names would reveal this. 
There are other ways to get a presence on the world wide web such as being a sub site to a major supplier that you do business with or an organization you belong to. But the best way to have a presence on the world wide web is for any business is to have their own domain name. You can register a domain in your own country with its national Identification .You can register with  the more familiar .com, .net, .org, .edu etc. For business it is generally a .com or their own identification.  Voluntary, non-profit groups generally register as .org.  It is important to note that domain names have to be renewed annually or they are lost. That is one of the responsibilities of a web designer to notify you of your registration expiration. It does help to list what you do in your domain name such as www.softshoes.com for a business that sell comfortable shoes can help when looking for that specific topic. This can help viewers find your company in the search engines' databases when they search for soft shoes.

 Search engines are the mechanisms that generate traffic to your site but only if the information submitted is relevant  and concise in nature. They are computers which seek out and hold the information given in your site so that people  The search engines place sites in a listing of approximately 200 comprising 20 pages of 10 listings and the aim is to  have the site listed as close to the top as possible for as long as possible. Selections and placings are based on the  title of the page or site, key words within the introduction or key information within the text. Research has shown that regular 'net-surfers' will rarely go past the 3rd. page of listings so strategic use of information enables optimum  positioning. Directories operate on a different basis. They are generally controlled by human beings rather than computers. Google is the most important of them all at the moment and the one most frequently used for site searches. Registration with directories is more complicated and more precise than with search engines and their criteria for  registration must be strictly adhered to.

 Hosting means placing the site or home page within the allocated space of a domain held and operated by another  company for a monthly or annual fee. For example our domain is stonecastleproductions.com and the hosting company name is GoDaddy  On our host we look like http://www.stonecastleproductions.com/ :(as the front page), ...additional pages give further information i.e.   http://www.stonecastleproductions.com/products.htm  This offers a more professional  appearance.  Many companies offer free hosting facilities. The disadvantage to this is that they place banner advertisements on the pages, many of which are often large and overpowering. Your details may be sold to bulk mailing companies leaving you open to tons of e-mail. It is from these advertising sources that their own revenue is obtained. Reputable design houses offer a good maintenance and up-date service to keep the site as visible as possible and this is normally part of the agreement to hosting the site. It is necessary that the hosting service is placed with a good and reputable company which ensures technical support and a daily back-up service as well as security.

 The answer can only be YES. A well-designed site will be attractive to those searching, and a regularly up-dated site will keep them coming back. The global market place has lifted barriers to smaller companies, allowing them affordable exposure and promotion of their product/service/business to places well outside of the normal areas covered by traditional advertising. The potential financial returns on the initial investment far outweigh the original cost.

  NO .... Although it is preferable as to obtain emails and reports it is not an absolute necessity. Many design houses offer regular review and contact report services to their clients.

 Again, the answer is NO. Your ad. is out there doing its work and bringing the customer to you. Of course, being
 on-line does allow you immediate access to your own e-mail but many design houses offer an 'e-mail post office
service' to the client, with agreed times of contact to keep them informed of any enquiries.

What Costs Are Involved?

 StoneCastle Productions operates from a Home-based Office allowing us to keep costs to the client at a minimum. We charge an hourly rate of  $50.00  for all work carried out and work with complete integrity and honesty on the time spent for each individual client's needs. Experience has taught us that this is the fairest and most  economical method of costing for the client and the easiest way for us to be able to carry out our work. Generally, costs from start to finish involve four separate elements - registration of a domain name which, once  registered, can remain dormant for a year until the client is ready to have their website designed Cost approx. $30.00 annually; design of the website in total co-operation with the client; hosting the website at rates that meet the clients needs from around $10.00 monthly to around $29.00; monthly marketing at the hourly rate quoted above.  On-going charges are the annual domain registration fee, hosting and up-dates/maintenance at the quoted hourly rate. Marketing a website effectively has become almost a science as there are literally millions of other websites  competing for those top search engine positions. Client's are advised on the best solutions to suit their needs and  charged at the hourly rate with the possible inclusion of varying search engine review fees, if appropriate. Our rates are in effective through January 2006

        .What Does StoneCastle Productions Have To Offer      

 A simple answer is all of the above - a sound and solid commitment to the client offering a service of excellence, quality and high standard; a guaranteed maintenance program; regular contact, if they so wish; and a broad spectrum of services in order to enable any business, established or just starting, to promote themselves in the market place locally or internationally. We especially pride ourselves on offering our clients customized data bases. example  http://www.stonecastleproductions.com/aexcell.htm  We input data into MS Excel or MS Access data base from forms generated from inquiries from your website, your exiting customer data base, walk ins, and others forms of inquiry.

 StoneCastle Productions is here to assist and advise on any aspect of your Internet marketing strategy. It may only be the need for a one page web site or as advanced as a complete business plan. Please email us or use the contact form for any questions or queries you may have.

  Any information provided to StoneCastle Productions is held in the strictest confidence.
  Email addresses are NOT passed on to any other person, business or organization without the owner's consent.