Web Site Services     


P A G E   I N D E X
Why have a web site
Services & Pricing
Writers & Artists
Web hosting providers
Domain name mystery
21st Century marketing
Getting 'found' online
FTP or Macromedia Contribute

 

Why have a web site?
I think you're here because you know you need a web site to make money today. Whether your a contractor or composer, retailer or roofer, a web site gives you visibility and credibility. At a cost of less than $100/year to host a site, it's cost-effective advertising and smart marketing.

Services & Pricing
You can create a web site on your own, even in a Word document, or you can hire a teenager to help. But you'll get online faster, and increase your understanding of the web, and what the web can do for your business, if you reach out to Computer Clarity for help. Maintenance and ongoing updates/changes are billed at $110/hour, and include back-up and safe storage of your web files.

Computer Clarity services are customized to match your changing need over time.
We can take over an existing site and make changes to the text without altering the design you've already paid for.
We can build a site for you, with your logo, photos, and up to three pages of material for about $400.

Writers & Artists
While I'm a right-brain thinker, many of my clients, especially for web sites, are left-brain artistic and creative people. They come to me for clarity because they are comfortable with my non-technical communication style, they can trust me, and as a writer + business owners, I have marketing ideas to help them succeed.

Web Hosting Providers
So, now you really want a site.  What do you do next. You need to choose a hosting firm - someone who will bill you a few dollars a month to let your web site exist on their computer, so it is available 24x7 for access by the public.  You can pay a great deal more, but reputable hosting firms don't have to cost $50/month or more. I recommend vendors under $10/month.

Domain Name Mystery
Before choosing a host, decide on a domain name -- your own dot-com. If you buy the domain name and the annual hosting service together you often save money, and more importantly, you don't have to transfer the domain to your site, since they are both with the same firm.  When choosing a domain name, here are two insider tips:

  1. Run your prospective domain name through search engines, and see what other sites come up. What you see is what your clients will see too.  If you're not in good company, think of alternate names.
  2. Look up your competitors - see what their sites look like, and how well their domain names match their business.
A domain name is part of a branding concept for your entire business. It should reflect your image, be easy to type, not clumsy spelling or punctuation, and should match your company materials. Don't choose a cute domain name that has no bearing on your actual business.

21st Century Marketing
Now we get to e-mail.   One reason to have a site is to draw inquiries from people, but a growing use of the web is to invite people to sign up on your site for something, so you can amass a nice big mailing list. E-mail marketing is cost-effective, quick, efficient, and keeps your name in front of clients.

Getting 'found' Online
A web site is no guarantee of visible placement in a web of millions. There are over 5,000 new web sites created every week and being found requires careful site writing and correct placement of keywords & metatags, so you can be found in search engines.  Its another reason to work with a pro -- not a babysitter, when your business is at stake.

Do You FTP?

If you use an FTP (file transfer protocol) program to load changes to your web site, you might enjoy reading these tips in a Computer Clarity article .

More people are using Macromedia Contribute now to update web sites on the fly -- if this inexpensive tool would help you keep your web site updated, take a look at Macromedia Contribute / http://macromedia.com/software/contribute/?promoid=BIHW.

If you need training or consulting, you know where to reach us!

 

Back to Computer Clarity 

E-mail us at Helen@cclarity.com

Helen Gallagher  • Computer Clarity •  Phone: 847-998-6240 

updated 9/12/05

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