General Questions
What are the benefits of having a web site?
A website can reach out to new markets or it can help retain your current customers. It can act as a multi page advertisement or it can be an online business that generates its own income. It can act as a meeting place, a resource center or even entertain. If you need to advertise, inform, sell, communicate or entertain then a website can be built to fit the bill.
An advantage of the web compared to traditional media is availability. The web is available 24 hours a day to a global audience. This creates an opportunity to provide valuable information for your customers. A professionally designed website can:
- act as a multi page advertisement
- display the products and services you provide
- enable customers to purchase goods or services
- allow reservations to be made online
- convey branding identity and promote trust
- develop customer loyalty through the provision of services
- provide contact information or direct contact through email
What is a Domain Name?
Your domain name is an address where Internet users can find you on the web. An example is www.yourbusiness.com.au.
You should have a unique domain name for your website. There are certain rules in place regarding what names you can register particularly if you want a ".com.au" name. Redfox can register your domain name or you can search for domain names and buy online.
What is Web Hosting?
All the files for your website are kept on one or more computers called web servers The server computer is said to be a host for your site. In other words, they look after your site and ensure it is available 24/7.
The web hosting requirements for any site vary according to the technology used to create it. The standard of the service can vary greatly from one company to the next. The speed and reliability of service are crucial as is the level of customer support provided.
Redfox will assist you in choosing a suitable web hosting service that suits the needs of your business. View our web hosting packages.
How much does a web site cost?
There are five basic costs.
- domain name registration
- web hosting
- web design and development
- promotion
- maintenance
Domain name registration
You must register a domain name for your business. The name must comply with certain rules. It will cost around $79 for a "www.yourbusiness.com.au" name for two years.
A well-chosen domain name can help customer recognition and increase traffic. It is increasingly more difficult to acquire a catchy domain name so a little imagination is required and certain restrictions on names apply, particularly to the ".com.au" domains. Redfox can register a domain name for you.
Web hosting
Most small business website hosting requirements fit into the $125 to $295 per year price bracket depending on the size and technology required for your site.
Web Design and development
Websites vary considerably in size and complexity and so does the time and therefore cost to build them. In a nutshell, you are paying for the time involved in building the site and the level of expertise required to make it work. Most of the websites we design cost between $1500 and $8000 for a custom website and most of these use a content management system and programming to make the sites work as required.
If you are after a simple website, let us know your requirements and we will give you some options that will get your business online quickly and on budget. Some websites can be built for as little as $500.
If you would like a web design quotation, you can call us on 07 5536 5264 to discuss the pricing options available or download our website planner - fill it in and return it to us.
Options to achieve your site objectives are discussed in our initial consultation so you can choose the most cost effective method to suit your business. We give a fixed quote with clear design objectives agreed upon at the beginning of the project.
Maintenance
The Internet is a dynamic environment and stale web sites just get passed over. Your site needs to change regularly to keep visitors coming back. Three options are:
- We build a database driven site where you can edit your own content. Initially more expensive ($300 - $700 per module) but free of any ongoing maintenance costs. This option is best for medium to larger websites or any website where content is to change regularly.
- Our experts perform any changes based on an hourly rate ($75 +GST).
- Update the site yourself with the right software and a little training. You will need to purchase software such as Macromedia Contribute for about $125. Training will cost $150.