1. How much is hosting and is this a monthly cost?
Hosting can range from $8 – $35/month for shared hosting service. For dedicated servers, these can range from $199 – $599 per month. The key to hosting is their suggested uptime, customer service, control panel access, where the data servers are located, redundancy, tech support.
2. How long has InSite Creations been in business, what is your specialty, and can we see some examples of your work?
We have been in business since 1995, just at the start of the Internet era. We have had both entrepreneurial and corporate experience. Our uniqueness is being able to provide our clients with full service – web design, programming development, online marketing and business development all under one roof. We work from our home, so the lower costs are shared with our clients. Our portfolio can be found at http://www.onlinesitedevelopment.com/portfolio.html
3. What is the typical time frame it takes to create a web site (say up to 20 pages, 10 sections)?
This really depends upon the complexity of the functionality. A basic HTML site of this size typically takes 50 hours in total from concept to implementation. We spend quite a bit of time ensuring we understand the objectives and goals, before proceeding with design and development. This way, we typically can see results much more quickly.
4. How do you keep the communications flowing between all the various Internet proponents (ex. Website, email, e-newsletter, blog, video, lead generating downloads – such as e-books or white papers, webinars, social media, etc.)?
It is important that each of your mediums have various touch-points rotating the audience from one to another, always ensuring there is a reason for the audience to participate with the next offering. The key is to ensure that you always have permission from them to involve them with the next offering or give them the option to receive or not receive. I typically like to set up a communication map, to see how I am moving the audience from one medium to the next or how one can enter/exit that map. Build your product/service offerings around these elements always keeping in mind all your various touch-points.
5. What are the upcoming trends for the Internet and how will that impact my business?
- Social Media, video and mobile marketing should be part of your 2013+ efforts – excellent format of online networking. This is a great way to generate referrals and get your name out to a connected group of people.
- Content management platforms like WordPress and CMS Made Simple offer dynamic ways to enhance your static website and offer self-editing tools for content updates, keeping your content fresh.
- Article sharing – a great way to mass publish your article with back links to your site, drive interested parties back to your website.
- Create ways to get your message out via online video – consider web based interviews, promote a new product, and provide a viral marketing link for easy sharing.
- Use of 3rd party widgets offer many wonderful tools to add to your website. There is no need to re-invent from scratch, instead, you can get a developer to easily install and customize. Google is a wonderful example of having multiple tools both for the site owner and web developer.
