web
development:
how to
What is the reason for a web site?
Why are you investing time and money into an Internet presence? We think it is
about quality communication. Today you must have a solid, high quality design.
The site layout, navigation, language, and download time all play vital parts
in achieving a design that will communicate well.
The Internet is a medium unlike anything we have known before.
One of the major cornerstones of the Internet is the hyperlink. The
hyperlink allows visitors to jump from one area in a website to another-
even from website to website- with the click of a mouse or stroke of a
key. If you are unable to keep a visitors attention, or have a poor
design, one mouse click and your new prospective client
is gone.
Our Web Development staff can layout and
design your site from the ground up. This process involves custom design of
graphics, logos, and layout of pages. This design is tailored to your own
companies or personal needs and the final product can be quite remarkable.
Site Programming:
A cost effective alternative to Custom
Design & Development is to have ShopAlberta program a site based on your
layout.
We have all seen web sites that after one look (or you have
to wait 10 minutes for it to finish loading) you simply click away from. That
is the type of design that does not send the appropriate message to the client.
Actually this may cause the client to look at a competitors products just
because your page was to slow. There are many things to be considered in the
design process, the equipment that your audience will be using to view your
site is important as well. How the website looks to you is not necessarily the
way it will look to your visitors. For instance, some of the things that can
affect how your site may look are:
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MONITORS- How will your site look on a 14", 15", 17", and 21" monitor, respectively?
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COLORS- The colors that you painstakingly select, may not be the same shades that others see. First, colors vary from monitor to monitor- unless the monitor has been calibrated. Also, PC's do not display colors the same as Mac's. Another thing that is of very important consideration, is how many colors the computer is set up to display. Most typical setups are at 256 colors upon purchase, but a semblance of photo quality is not even attainable until about 64K colors are displayable.
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BROWSERS- How many browsers are out there? Even between the two major players, Netscape and Internet Explorer, web pages are displayed differently. Some of the differences are minor- sometimes they can be major.. Each has its own peculiarities.
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NAVIGATION- How easy is it for someone to find the information they want from your site? If they have to search to find some way to contact you- most likely they will not. If the information is buried 5 levels deep under a header that is obscure, will they even try?
Looking for someone to lead you through the design process? Just send us an email today!
We ask you provide us with:
A site layout (flowchart) on 8-1/2 X 11 paper.
Each page of site (as shown on the flow chart) should be defined in layout form on 8-1/2 X 11 paper and include the following:
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Layout of text
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Location of logos
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Location of tool bars
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Layout and design of tool bars
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Background colors
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Button colors/design
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Text color
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Sites you wish to link to (URL's must be provided)
Any photos/logos already scanned must be in GIF or JPEG format. However, we can scan your materials. Once a photo/logo is scanned does not necessarily mean that it is ready to be uploaded. The scan can require minor or major reworking. You may do this work on your own, request ShopAlberta to upload as is, or request ShopAlberta to rework your scan. Rework can take anywhere from 15 minutes to many hours.
text should be in notepad format (available
through the accessories programs on Windows 3.1 or Windows - 95).
ShopAlberta is available for typing services, however it is billable at our normal
rate of $55.00/hr and this will increase the cost of your site.
You need not have access or hosting services with Shop Alberta in order for us to publish your site.
In order for your web site to
succeed
You must have a workable strategy. That is where we can
help. If you know exactly where you are going, and what you want to achieve
with your website, GREAT!. We will be happy to implement your concepts.
On the other hand, you might be unclear as to what steps
would be most appropriate. Perhaps you only have some loosely defined goals. We
can help. There are some a basic things you need to do to be effective on the
internet, and we will be happy to help you implement an effective strategy.
Some
basic steps for effectively promoting your internet presence are:
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Search Engines- Registering your site with many search engines will be of great importance in letting the public know that your site is out there. Of course, a search engine will only find the sites/information that correlates to the keywords submitted to search on. Planned and targeted use of keywords will help make your site easier to find.
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Url Usage - Place your URL (website and email address) on ALL company literature. This goes for ads, letterhead, business cards, etc. If people know that you have a website up, they will be able to use it to find more information about your company, and when they contact you, they will be much more informed and focused on what they need or want.
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Newsgroups - Newsgroups are read by many on the net. Newsgroups are like an online bulletin board, and are specific to subjects and interests. Someone who finds your link in one of these groups will be someone that is most likely a demographically suitable prospect. However, blatant advertising is discouraged in newsgroups. A posting in your signature with your company link and perhaps some basic info is accepted- but tread very lightly or you will get flamed. :)
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Banner Ads- Banner ads are very popular. They can also be expensive. Banner ads are the online equivalent of the large advertising boards you see along the highway. The cost for these are negotiated by the owner of a site, and will vary according to how much traffic the site receives, and how the charge is calculated.