Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does it cost to build a website?
A: This really depends on the scale of the project. To provide you with an accurate estimate, I need to know:
- What features you want in your web hosting package. Our Pro package is usually appropriate for most small or medium sites. All packages allow for at least five email addresses and two databases. Please note, as our hosting packages are very reasonably priced and include full technical support, we do not sell web hosting without our design, development or consulting services.
- How complex the site is going to be. This is less about the number of pages than about the number of page templates, or site sections. I need to have some idea of how many types of pages we’ll have to consider when we design the site.
- How you want to edit the site content once it has gone live; or, what content management system (CMS) you want to use. We offer custom CMS development and theming for such Drupal and Wordpress , but we can also build a custom CMS if you have more specific needs. A custom CMS allows for a simpler user interface and specific functionality (like an e-commerce system), and it is not always more expensive.
- Whether you want to include any advanced functionality, Flash animation or applications, custom video or other multimedia. Some basic features are standard and do not cost extra, like blog functionality on a CMS-driven site, but other cost extra. We’ll provide a cost breakdown so that you know what each component costs.
Contact Allen with as many specs as you can provide, and we’ll get back to you with a quote within 48 hours.
Q: How do I make my site appear higher in Google searches?
A: The three best methods for making your site climb search engine rankings are as follows:
- Have well-written, pertinent and frequently updated content.
- Ensure that all content, whenever possible is correctly tagged and categorized, but don’t overdo it.
- Exchange links with other sites on the web.
That’s about it! If you’re doing all these things, you may still have to wait a week or two for your site’s name to appear in searches, and it might take a few months for your site to rise to the top when you type the name in. Having said that, don’t expect your site to ever come out on top when someone searches general terms such as “author” or “historical novel” or even “Canadian non-fiction publisher” in Google. People usually use more specific terms to search for content online anyway. And that’s why it’s often not worth it to pay big money for sponsored links, in addition to the fact that many people don’t trust them and have trained themselves to ignore them completely.
Q: Well if people aren’t doing general searches online, how do I get them to visit my website?
A: Your website is the hub of your marketing, but not the beginning of it. You need to include your web address (URL) on your business cards, the signature file in all the emails you send, your Facebook page, on your signs, in your books, on the back of your artworks or prints, on your posters, and anywhere else. Make sure you say it and spell it out if necessary in interviews. Twitter it. Tell all of your friends and family about it. Mention it to your acquaintances. But don’t spam anyone unless you want to get your email address blacklisted.
Q: What on earth are you talking about? What’s Facebook? What’s Twitter? What’s Drupal? What’s Wordpress?
A: You can probably find out everything you need to know by performing a diligent web search, but some things aren’t explained well on the web. If you need one-on-one consulting, please feel free to contact Allen.
Tech support questions to follow soon.
Got a specific question? Please feel free to Comment below.