Steps involved in designing a dynamic, interactive web site for you.
Web Site Name. First, you need to decide on what you want to use for a web site name (domain name), ie. www.traversecitymall.com, so I can check to see if that name is currently owned. If it is available, then within a matter of a few minutes I can have your new web site name registered to you.
Host Company. A Host Company is in the business of providing servers that are connected via the Internet backbone to the public. You cannot put up a web site without using a host company, unless you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars to set up your own servers, install T1 phone lines, etc.
There are numerous Host Companies available on the Internet that offer all kinds of packages for a web site. Some you may be familiar with are Hostway, Charter Online, and a few others locally. Although it makes no difference in the design of your site who you use for a host company, I do recommend www.readyhosting.com. ReadyHosting offers many features and services for hosting your web site and only charges $99 per year, compared to many others that charge $30 and up per month. And no, I don't get any commission or kickback from ReadyHosting for recommending their company. Just that I've used them for the last several years and have had a very good experience with their company.
Whomever you decide on to use, they will need to have Microsoft servers to run Active Server Pages. You'll find quite a few Hosts use Unix or Apache servers which are not able to run ASP without running a simulation. I can guide you through this process and actually it is much simpler than what you may think.
Let's Chat. What I will need is good communication with you during the web site design process. You'll find that I will often chat with you several times a day via phone or email asking for your input. I'll need you to look at other web sites that are in the same or similar business, and make notes of what you like and don't like about their site. I will need to know what your tastes are when it comes to design, whether you like plain and simple or a little more flash. During our conversations I will be making notes and getting a feel of what you will like for an overall design to your site.
On to the Design Stage. You will need to decide what you want to present to the public for information. Normally you will have a Home page which will be an introduction to your web site and your services or products. From there you can have buttons linking visitors to other pages on your web site, such as, a Bio page telling about yourself, a Listings page, an Area Information page, an Area Links page, a Buyers Guide Request page, a "Tips for Sellers" page, a "Tips for Buyers" page, and on and on. Although these suggestions are for a Realtor's web site, the process is the same for any web site. You need to decide on what pages will link from your home page you want visitors to access.
From there I'll need you to put together either on paper and fax to me, or you can email me all the copy you've put together for your pages. Usually this is all the information the public will see, along with your MLS sheets (if it's a real estate site), any digital photos you want to use (or prints can be sent and I'll transfer them to a digital format), and/or any artwork that you may have for logos, etc. It can be in a rough draft and I'll be more than helpful if it needs a little polishing.
While you are gathering all this together, I'll be working on the overall layout and design and will put up on my server different designs for you to look at and give me feedback on. I'm very flexible and always welcome any suggestions on what you like and don't like, so don't hold back on me...I want it to be perfect and to your complete satisfaction.
Here Comes The Database. Once I have from you all the information that will come from your online database, I'll start constructing the overall design of the database and keying in all the information (ie, your real estate or rental listings). Putting together the database usually takes a few days and I need the database complete before I can construct any pages that pull information from the database along with your Administration section to your web site.
The Admin Section. Each web site has two parts to it. The first is all the pages that the public will see. The second is the hidden Administration section. It is this Admin section that is user name and password protected that allows you to do all your maintenance. It is extremely easy to use and custom tailored to fit your needs. From the Admin section you can insert new real estate listings (or products, etc.), update existing listings, delete listings, make active or inactive, upload photos, maps, drawings, etc. along with some other really cool features. If you've been maintaining your existing web site "the old fashion" way, you won't believe how much easier and quicker it will be with an online Admin section that can be accessed directly from your web browser.
Are We Done Yet? Well almost. During this entire process I'll be uploading pages to the server for you to ok. Once I have your approval on how a page looks, then I'll move on to the next. When all the public viewed pages are approved, then I'll upload the Admin section for your approval. Once that is approved you site is 99% complete. My final step is to add all the meta tags and submit your site to all the major search engines for their robots to crawl your site and index. And that's about it.
Sure, this sounds like a lot, but once I start a new site it typically takes on average for a database driven web site about 3-4 weeks to complete. Allow about half that time for a non-database site. The better our communication and the more you can give me for information up front the quicker it goes. If I need to wait on copy or approval of pages it will only delay the completion, which is why during this entire process we need to keep in regular contact. No, it doesn't mean that there is going to be countless meetings, etc. Most of the web sites I've completed without ever meeting the web site owner as long as we can keep in contact via phone or email.
Ok, how much is this going to cost me? I typically base my rates on a per page basis. My normal rates are $150 per page and sporadically throughout the year, depending on how busy I am, I will give a 50% discount to keep from getting bored. At the bottom of this page is a link for my rate sheet. It is in PDF format so you will need to have Acrobat Reader installed on your hard drive. If you don't, just click on their logo to download.
I can handle developing several websites per month, and always take on new work in the order I receive a request. In addition, I also provide for web sites digital photography, virtual tours, slide shows, audio narrations, and animated flash banners.
If this has peaked your interest, feel free to call or email me today and I'll be more than happy to discuss your needs in person. Thank you!
Russ W. Cole
Bringing to life new concepts in web site design!
1706 Indian Woods Drive • Traverse City, MI 49686 • (231) 941-7393 Voice & Fax
