Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I know my way around computers pretty well. Can't I build my own website and save a lot money?
A: Many people wonder if they can build their own website. The answer is: of course you can! Anyone can. As long as you take the time to learn some basic principles. There are software packages out there that can guide you through the creation of a complete website in as little as an hour. But beware: without knowing the basic principles of HTML coding, image 
optimization, server behaviors and FTP protocol, you will find yourself lost in a quagmire of confusion more often than not. You will undoubtedly find that it is very difficult (to say the least) to get the webpage that lives in your head onto the screen. Usually after a first try, most do-it-yourselfers come to find that there is a lot more to website building than opening a box of software and "cutting and pasting". Websites behave under their own set of rules, and to be able to get complete control over the design of a website is an art and a science that only experience can teach. Almost every one of our initial clients are still retaining us as their web hosting/maintenance company. Most of our clients have increased their sales volume by leaps and bounds because of their web presence. And if you think about it, how can you lose? The entire world is your audience.
Q: Isn't hosting available for around $10 per month? Don't some hosting companies offer it for free?
A: Yes. Hosting is available at every price point. And yes, some companies offer totally FREE hosting. What inexperienced buyers don't realize is that the less they pay, the less technical support they get, the less features they get, the less bandwidth (traffic allowance) they get, and so on. And as far as the FREE hosting goes, you almost always have to agree to have banner advertising flashing on your website, usually in the upper half of the screen. You essentially are renting out space on your site in exchange for hosting services. Face it: Someone has to pay for the hosting space. We have found that you really do get what you pay for in the hosting world. If you don't mind having your website go down unexpectedly with no one available in tech support for days on end, then you may be OK with a cheaper hosting plan.
Q: What Is A CSS File?
A: CSS stands for "Cascading Style Sheets", and are used to control and manage font styles, font sizes, and web site color combinations that are used in a web page. In order to retain continuity of "look and feel" throughout a website, all pages within a website will often refer to a single CSS file. The CSS file is typically contained in a separate file from the website, and the various web pages retrieve the CSS file each time a web page is displayed. CSS files make global appearance changes easy -- a single change in a CSS file will mean that any pages using that CSS file will automatically display the changes.
Q: What Is More Important -- Web Design Or SEO?
A: Web Design and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are not mutually exclusive. The best webmasters are familiar with Search Engine Optimization techniques, as well as Website and Graphical Design. It is difficult to have a successful website if you neglect either SEO or Design. The two are intricately woven, and really must coexist to achieve website success.
Q: How Much Does A Website Cost?
A: It depends on many variables. Websites can cost anywhere from $750 - $10,000. Creating a website requires two different inter-related skill sets: graphic design and programming. And good website design also involves a little known field of study known as ergonomics, which is the science of human comfort and interactivity. Ergonomics reaches into the field of psychology. So you can see, in order to design a good website, one needs to be able to wear many hats. Graphic design takes time. Programming takes time. Most of the costs associated with a new website are simply labor related. No matter who you hire to create your new website, make sure you always get a detailed breakdown of the costs involved before you sign any contract.
Q: Do You Have To Know HTML To Design A Website?
A: Knowing HTML is certainly helpful in website design, especially when very minor tweaks and adjustments are necessary, but it is not absolutely required for website design. There are a number of WYSIWYG editors and web templates available, which can assist new webmasters with the design process. However, the less one knows about the HTML language, the less control and finesse they are going to have over the way their website looks and functions.
Q: What Does HTML Stand For?
A: HTML stands for "HyperText Markup Language". HTML is the markup language that typically resides behind the web page. Information related to the website design is indicated by "tags". HTML is what is considered a simple markup language.
Q: What Is The Difference Between Dynamic And Static Web Pages?
A: A "Dynamic" web page is one that is automatically created "on the fly" as it is presented, while a "Static" web page is pre-configured and not interactive. Dynamic web pages will often pull information from somewhere else before displaying the page, so the page content is ever-changing. The information on a Dynamic webpage often results from a database query, such as "search" results. Another kind of Dynamic page simply pulls information from another source, such as a web page that displays an RSS feed -- it's "Dynamic" because the page content changes each time the RSS feed is updated. The information contained in a Static page is considered "flat", and never changes until the webmaster re-codes it.
Q: What's In A Name?
A: A name can make of break a web site. I am of course talking about a Domain name. You may think there is nothing to it. Pick a catchy domain name that rolls off the tongue, check that it is available and if it is go ahead and buy it. It couldn’t be any harder that that can it? Well, yes it can. Just stop and think for a minute. You have bought the domain name, designed and built a great looking website, and launched it out onto that great world wide web. You have got a great Reciprocal Link Exchange on your site and you have reached a reasonable Google Page Rank. Then you decide to get an Auto responder to have a mailing list, and that is when your troubles start! Let me tell you my story… I don’t know if you have heard of Stone Evans – the Home Biz Guy? He runs the Plug in Profit Site. http://www.pluginprofitsite.com/main-3509. Well I bought into his business. I had to decide on a domain name before he built my website. I chose the name martinsoffers.com. I though that was quite cool as my name is Martin and my site would be advertising offers. Part of the Plug in Profit Site is you get your own Auto Responder, filled with a 360 day newsletter ready for when you sign up subscribers. I went ahead and bought a good quality leads package and loaded them into my auto responder. All was going well. Or so I thought. After a while, I noticed I was not getting any response from my good quality leads (on average you should expect around 1% sign up at the very least). I did some searching around, mainly in the Warrior Forum which is part of the membership package of the Plug in Profit Site. There I saw a series of posts on the American Anti Spam Laws and the effects it was having on the newsletters. With the Auto responder, there was a spam check program. I’d never used that before, but I ran a few sample newsletters through the spam check. Boy, was I in for a shock. Every single one failed to pass the test. My auto responder is probably like most others, it has a scoring system and once it passes 5 it flags up that your newsletter would trigger the spam filters. What I found most disturbing was that it was my domain name of martinsoffers.com that was scoring the most, 4.3 points each time it was mentioned. And 2.3 points because my email address was @martinsoffers.com. Even a single word newsletter with just www.martinsoffers.com scored 6.6. Way above the threshold. The cost to me, as a result of this has not just been to register a new domain name. I have had to completely redesign my website with my new name on it. Cancel and reopen a new account with my auto responder. And start again with my Reciprocal Links Exchange. I have also had to start again from scratch with the Google Ranking. And I have a domain name that is next to useless to me or to anyone for that matter. I only use it now to direct traffic meant for martinsoffers.com to my new website. So, that’s my story, and my warning to you. Before you go and register a new domain name, run it through a spam check. If you are going to use your web site for marketing the last thing you want is for the spam filters to stop your email getting through.
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