•  How much does a website cost?
•  What about package prices?
•  Do you provide the hosting - who is the server?
•  What happens if the site goes down or there is a problem of some kind?
•  How long would it take to put the site together and have it running?
•  What is Multimedia?
•  What is a Content Management System (CMS)?

How much does a website cost?

The total cost of a website varies greatly based on the features of your site as well its use. When we discuss your internet plans with you, we take all these factors into consideration.

For instance, some of the factors that affect price are:

•   graphical content (purchasing rights to images);
•   programming (ie: Flash, forms, online shopping capabilities);
•   bandwith;
•   scanning;
•   content writing and/or editing;
•   maintenance cost;
•   marketing strategies;
•   paid inclusion in search engines and directories.

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I have seen package prices. For instance, US$500 for a complete 5 page site. Is that my most cost efficient option?

With our service you only pay for the features that you need because we match your technical requirements with the right applications. Depending on your site's features, your final cost may be more, or it may be less.

The most important factor to consider is that we build your site with expandability in mind. So while our initial price may seem higher, your overall cost over a longer period (ie: 3-5 years) will be less.

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Do you provide the hosting - who is the server?

We outsource hosting so that you can have the benefits of latest technology and secure servers. The company, Netfims, is very reputable, and recognized as an excellent service provider by Webhost Magazine. They are based in Toronto.

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What happens if the site goes down or there is a problem of some kind?

The chosen service provider (Netfirms) uses "clustered hosting" platform technology, so that you will receive a service comparable to that enjoyed by Fortune 500 corporations. Using a cluster of servers to handle your Website’s needs eliminates dependency on any one server. If ever one server goes down, the others pick up the extra work load, thus providing 99.9% uptime for your site.

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How long would it take to put the site together and have it running?

That partially depends on how quickly you can get information to us. For a small informational (not e-commerce enabled) site of upto 20 pages, realistically allow 2-4 weeks from start to completion. One week to work out the site structure, one week for us to design the initial site layout and for you to start compiling your information. Two weeks for the site content to be compiled and for us to program the site content pages, proof, troubleshoot forms, adjust meta tags etc.

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What is Multimedia?

If your Website provides news, entertainment, sports or business content, you may want to use multimedia files to attract more viewers, hold their attention and keep them coming back for more. Multimedia files such as music (MP3s, Shockwave), video (QuickTime, MediaPlayer), large portable documents (PDF), or graphic based animation files (Flash) require a good deal of bandwidth for them to run quickly and smoothly. Our websites are hosted on a platform that allows you to your site to the fullest by delivering enough bandwidth to let your visitors enjoy whatever kind of media file you choose to present.

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What is a Content Management System (CMS)?

If you are planning a community site, a website that will require constant editing and additions, or if multiple people will be making updates to your website, a "Content Management System," also known as CMS, might be right for you.

CMS systems allow anyone to edit a website, regardless of technical skill level. Pages can be added or changed easily without knowing coding.

CMS comes in 2 varieties, as client-side software (ie: Contribute) or server-side applications where editing is done through your browser. They both work on the same principle, by separating content from the site's layout. This makes it possible for the end user to add content while maintaining the design structure intact.

CMS systems must be installed on your web server and require specific applications, such as PHP/Perl, and require a database (MySQL) to store the content. When selecting a CMS system, we take a number of factors into account, such aswhich software is installed on your host's server, your present and future needs apart from content editing, cost, ease of use etc.

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