Tips for Choosing a Web DeveloperWritten by Diane Spence
You've put it off long enough! It's time for action! You are finally going to put your business on Internet! Congratulations, you now have joined ranks of thousands who have absolutely no idea what to do next! Who do you call? What will it cost? How do you find a company to develop your site for you? Who do you trust? Where do you start?If this seems overwhelming, you are not alone. However, there are things you can do to minimize risk and to make process less daunting. Your first step is selecting several web developers to contact: Solicit a referral from someone you trust that has a web site. A recommendation from a friend or associate is best place to start. Ask members of organizations you belong to who they use. Call your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and ask for a recommendation. If you use AOL or a large national provider, this approach does not work. However, you can call any local ISP and ask for a referral. Search Internet for web developers in your area. Contact several companies, ask questions and get quotes. A good developer knows that you are in unfamiliar territory and welcomes your questions. Ask for references and call them. Are they happy with their developer? How is customer service? Look at sites company has designed. Do they look professional? Does everything work on pages? Get several quotes. The range in cost is as varied as there are developers. Cheapest is not always best. Factor in quality, customer service and experience. Make sure you understand all of costs associated with a web site. Is there a monthly hosting fee? Will they bill you by hour or give you a fixed quote for design and development? In order to keep your site interesting you need to change or modify content frequently. What do they charge?
| | Does your homepage work?Written by Peter Simmons
All websites have a homepage. It is most important page of your site. It acts as main gateway to entire site. Most of your prospective customers will enter through it. Its vital to get it right. You dont want them to just turn around and go away again.Take a moment to clear your mind. Now go and look at your homepage and take a minute to evaluate it. Does it work for your prospective customers? Most will arrive at your homepage and quickly scan through content. If they are interested in what they read and see they'll typically decide to click on a link that takes them to another page where they'll find more information. As they make that decision they'll be asking things like: What do they do? Do they look professional? Whats in it for me? Do i have problem they describe? Are they talking directly to me? How can i get it? Alternatively, if homepage hasnt interested them immediately then they'll leave just as quickly as they arrived, unlikely to return. Your homepage is gateway to your website and plays a critical part in prospects visit. First impressions count. The success of your site depends on your homepage. Now, before we look at what a homepage should be, lets look at what it shouldnt be. It should not be a false homepage requiring you to click a link to get to real homepage. It shouldnt be a page that fails to direct prospect to further action. It shouldnt contain any content that doesnt serve an immediate and clear purpose. It should never read like a dull brochure, that does nothing to motivate prospects to seek more information or buy immediately.
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