Articles
April 5, 2006 - Do I Really Need A Website? - Mellanie Hee
There is a certain insanity in pouring your time, money and effort into something that arguably doesn't exist in anything but a collection of electrons on some hard drive somewhere. So why do it? (Yikes, that brings into question the reality of my whole body of work, doesn't it? Actually, it is OK, really, I used to paint...really!)
Back to you and your questions...Do a little impromptu survey. Ask your customers where they look for information about businesses like yours. If more than a few say "The Internet," then you probably have reason to spend five hundred bucks or so on a decent website that has information about you and your business that people can find on the web. Otherwise...well, maybe you don't need it. OR, you are not getting your name out to those that DO use the Internet! (Hey, what did you expect? I am trying to sell websites here!)
OK, so maybe you do want a website.
Where do I start?
- What is the purpose of your website? New customers? Something useful for existing clients? Create a 67 million user base blog site like MySpace? (we might need a bigger server...but I'm game!)
Understanding the purpose behind your website will help to determine what it will look like as well as the content that needs to be created.
- Who is your target audience? Audience is the second question I will ask you. Age range, technological level, and other tidbits about who you think will see or use your site.
- What should I put on my website? After you have worked out the purpose and target audience, you will find that this question almost answers itself. No, really, trust me, it does.
How can I help you?
I have been doing this "freelance thing" for awhile now. (Ten years! ) I have a system that hasn't failed me yet. I like to meet with you to discuss the purpose, audience and your expectations of what you can get from me. Then I generally go away for a few days and think a little bit and come back to you with some design ideas or mockups and a proposal for the time I think I need to spend to help you accomplish your goals. Then, we go from there...
What is this going to cost?
I do a lot of websites for $500 to $1000. Over the years, I have worked out that if the initial mockups are well received, then it will probably work out to be about $100 per web page. Things that have programming, like shopping carts, etc. are going to cost a little more. However, my $100 rule has worked out pretty well, so I think that gives you some idea. I think that is important for you to decide ahead of time how much you are willing to spend. If you can let me know your budget, I can help you figure out what you can afford to have on your site.
I hope that this little article has helped you. I have aimed to give you an idea of how I work with a little bit of personality thrown in for good measure. I get a lot of enjoyment from making websites, and I think the process should be fun for you also. It certainly should not be stressful.
One more note... For the average website of 5 to 10 pages, you can expect it will take two to four weeks from concept to launch unless I am just swamped. This includes time from the initial consultation to the gathering of materials through that exciting moment of "going live."
If you have any questions, please Email me at mellanie@neptuneskitchen.com - but, put "website" in the subject line somewhere so that my mail filter will find your message before the spam filter eats it. I have had this domain name for ten years, and I get about 500-1000 spams a day (no kidding!)
Thanks!
Mellanie
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