» Why do I need a website?
There are so many reasons to have a website that a better question might be “can my business survive without a website”? Below is a summary of the most important reasons why your business or organization should make it’s website a top priority;

Tech savvy customers: Businesses that are not on the Internet, no matter what their reason, will soon be yesterday's news. The Internet is becoming the preferred method to shop and research products and services, with nearly 5 million* new US households shopping online in each of the next five years. If your business isn’t online or can’t be found, these customers will be forced take their business elsewhere.
*According to a 2003 study by Forrester Research, Inc.

Cost effectiveness: There is no better value for growing your business than a website. The Return On Investment (ROI) is incredibly high, and the start-up costs are low. Depending on your businesses needs, the yearly cost of having a website can be as low as $69!* Compare this to other forms of advertising (such as print or television) and the savings are clear.
In addition to our competitively priced web development services, we can also show you options for targeted online advertising that fit any budget.
*Includes domain registration and website hosting, which are the only things that are strictly necessary to have a website. For more price information, click here.

Increasing your Sales: Having no website, or a shoddy website is a quick way to shut yourself off from almost 800,000,000* potential Internet shoppers. A professional quality website can widely broaden your customer base, and increase sales accordingly. You may all ready have many local customers, but how do you inform potential customers of your products or service if they are in another state or country? A website is like a virtual storefront that can serve those global customers 24/7.
*As of February 2004, based on reports by Nielson, ITU, and Internet World Stats.

Always Open: 69%* of Internet shoppers chose to spend their money online instead of at a “brick and mortar” store because were able to do so at a time when other stores were closed. Varying schedules, personal preference, and even geographical location drive consumers to seek out time-friendly ways to do their shopping. When your business has a website, you are able to reach customers 24/7/365, without having to keep a physical store open, too.
*According to a 2003 study by Jupiter Research.

Automating to Save Time & Resources: Your time and resources are valuable, and a website can help you drastically save both. Instead of printing 1,000 brochures to reach 1,000 customers (and that’s only if every brochure is read) you can use your website to provide the same information for a fraction of the cost. (To accommodate for customers who don’t have Internet access, you could also reduce the amount of printed materials you produce, which still saves lots of money and effort.) Plus, a website reaches an unrestricted amount of customers, so your investment is stretched even further.
Instead of advising your customers to call about sales or new information, and then repeating the same information on the phone over and over, you can direct them to your website instead. This saves you time, and equally important, it saves the customer time and effort, and allows them to gather information on their schedule instead of only when your store is open.

Dynamic Information: Other medias are static, such as print and television, while the Internet allows you to make unlimited changes, anytime. Reduce your advertising and operating costs by keeping customers up to date via your website, instead of filling their mailbox with printed materials that quickly become out of date. Utilize a database to help customers search for information quicker, offer custom directions to your store based on your customers location, use a script to display a different offer each time a customer visits your website- the possibilities are endless.

Competition: Either your competitor all ready has a website, or you will be one step ahead of them.

» What do I need to get a website started?
Depending on your specific needs, this list may need additional items, but every website needs the following;

Domain name – This can be registered yearly for $8.95/yr. through Go Daddy. Other domain registrars charge an upwards of $35 a year, but Go Daddy provides the same service for much less. You can also register your domain for larger blocks of time, up to 10-year periods.

Web host – This is a monthly fee (that can also be paid in larger blocks of time, if desired) for a 3rd party to physically store the data on your website and to serve that information to your website visitors. Many companies don’t use a lot of web hosting resources, and can pay as little as $6.95/mo. for web hosting through DreamHost. The vast majority of web hosts charge considerably more for the same services as DreamHost, but having tried far too many of them ourselves, we endorse only this web host for our clients.
We also offer hosting solutions on our servers for selected clients, to further reduce their costs.

Website – Duh, right? Of course you are welcome to create your own website, but for many reasons, it is often better to have this professionally done. This encompasses all “content”, such as including text, images, and website design.

Depending on what you want your website to do, you may also need some of the following;

SSL Certificate – This stands for Secure Socket Layer, and it is essential for accepting credit cards online through your domain (other e-commerce options exist that do not require an SSL cert). This is paid yearly and prices range (depending on your needs) from $59-$109/yr.

Shopping Cart – If you want to sell products or services on your website, you will need a shopping cart script. There are many options for this, and we can help you choose one based on your needs. Some are subscription based (where you pay a monthly fee), some can be bought outright, and some are completely free. Not all shopping cart scripts are created equal, and great care should be exercised when choosing one. They all generally take a bit of time to configure, and switching to a new one in the future often requires a complete change of your website.

Other scripts – Gathering data via online forms, guestbooks, wishlists, accessing databases of information, and displaying image galleries are just a few ways that scripts are used on a website. A website is so much more than a static brochure, and scripts are mainly how dynamic information is displayed. They also automate tedious tasks and can provide fun options for your website visitors. Scripts are written in many programming languages, and we focus mainly on those written in PHP, Perl/CGI, and JavaScript. Costs vary greatly, but many scripts are available free, especially the simpler ones.

Computer & ISP – While not always strictly necessary, it is helpful to have your own computer. Some websites would require this, especially if online customer service is offered. This also allows you to view your website at any time to verify that it is up to date and accurate. An ISP stands for Internet Service Provider, and is how you access the internet from your computer. Price and connection speeds vary greatly from region to region.

» How much does a website cost?
Prices vary between providers, but our rates are competitive and fair. Please click here for all web design prices.

» How do I get a domain name?
You will need to purchase this yearly (or less frequently if you pay for multiple years at once). There are many domain registrars, but we suggest using Go Daddy. They register most domains for $8.95 a year, and provide excellent and timely customer service. Compare this to their giant corporate counterparts (ie- Register.com or Network Solutions), and you're saving $26.25 per year, per domain, and possibly hours of careless "customer support".

» Which web host should I use?
We suggest using Dream Host. Having tried many different web hosts in the past, all of which provided shoddy services and/or support, we know that DreamHost is different. Their prices, support, and service are all unbeatable. Oh, and did we mention that they're carbon-neutral? How cool is that!

» Will I be able to update my own website or can you?
Both options are available to our clients. If you wish to update your website yourself, we can install a Content Management script that makes updating a breeze, even for novices. We also provide website update services for those who wish to focus on their business, and leave their website to us.

» What if I can't afford a website?
You can’t afford not to have a website! With a “brick and mortar” small business, your competition is generally just in your region. However, the existence of the Internet now means that a business on the other side of the country or the globe is your competition as well. With new business websites appearing every day, you can’t afford the loss of exposure that not having a website will bring.

Additionally, it’s a myth that you have to pay a lot of money to get a well developed website. Although some web developers do charge inflated rates, our prices are very competitive, and your initial out of pocket expense will be low. When your website is up and running, yearly maintenance costs can be as low as $69*. Please contact us for a no-obligation free quote.
*Includes domain registration and website hosting, which are the only things that are strictly necessary to have a website. For more price information, click here.

» How long will it take to get my website up and running?
This will depend on the extent of the work that needs to be done, our schedule, and your cooperation. This can range from a few days to weeks or months, usually based on the promptness of the client’s cooperation (providing essential information, authorizing changes, making decisions, etc.). We work within your schedule, so if you are eager to get your website started ASAP, please contact us immediately for a free price and time quote.

» Can I design my own website?
It's your business, and you can do anything you would like! : )
That said, according to one study, a whopping 65%* US Internet users said they won’t patronize a poorly designed website. Another study shows that over 46%** of global Internet users rank “design look” as the most important component when evaluating website credibility. Unless you are a web designer by trade, you risk creating a website that half of Internet surfers will immediately reject.

And design is just one of the many aspects of website creation. There is also optimizing the website so that it gets found by search engines and customers, programming in several languages, image editing, uploading content (FTP), copy writing and editing, and staying current on a wide variety of internet issues, just to name a few areas.

Like virtually any project, creating a website can be done with minimal knowledge and experience, but that will be obvious in the results. Since your website is a direct reflection of your business, it is important to display the concepts you want your customers to see. You probably hired professionals for other aspects of your business (interior design, accounting, printing, electrician, etc.) and your website deserves the same professionalism.

If a “brick and mortar” store had unstable shelves, was easy to get lost in, or appeared to be constructed/designed sloppily, you probably wouldn’t shop there. The exact same concept is true for your website.
This also allows you to focus on your business, which is what you do best.
*According to a 2003 study by Genex.
**According to a 2003 study by Consumer Web Watch.

» I all ready have a website that my (friend, relative, neighbor, etc.) made.
”It’s better than nothing” doesn’t apply with websites. Your website is an extension of your business, and if it is constructed poorly, potential customers will take their business to your competition. The Internet outdates the concept of proximity, as shoppers can leave your store and enter your competitor’s in a few seconds, even if both stores are thousands of miles apart. Since 65%* of the global Internet users won’t shop at a poorly designed website, a professionally developed website is essential for any business.

Ask the person who created your website how their design speaks for your business, what they optimized your website for, and what goals your website will help you achieve. If they are unable to answer any of those questions, then your website needs help.
*According to a 2003 study by Genex.

» My website came as part of a package. Is it any good?
This totally depends on who you bought the package from. There are definitely good service providers out there, but those are few and far between. Company's such as telephone providers, or Internet service providers have expertise in providing telephone and Internet connections. That doesn't stop them from offering website design, hosting, and marketing services, though! There are also lots of small businesses that, by their very nature of being small and often having limited access to affordable and quality resources, offer substandard services, too.

As a rule, package deals, unless offered by a web developer, are not a good deal. Even then, unless you have compared them against several other competitors, you have a good chance of severely over-paying. As an example, the global conglomerate communications provider, Verizon, uses it's power as the largest directory publisher in the world to sell listings in it's online directory. For grossly inflated rates (currently $73 a month for a 2 page website, more than the yearly cost of buying these services separately) Verizon will also sell you a package website "deal". Packages like this are meant for customers who, for whatever reason, do not research their options. The companies offering these "deals" count on customers to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of getting their business online by stressing that the process is "complicated", takes a lot of technical expertise, and is therefore expensive. It only takes a few hours of searching Google to find a few web developers who can give you free quotes, which allows you to find the best deal for you instead of for the service provider.

Even if you have all ready purchased a website plan that doesn't meet your needs, you can still switch! Many companies try to make the switch as difficult as possible, but Such Great Heights has plenty of experience in helping customers escape those plans. Even if you're not sure what your plan provides for you, or if you're locked into a contract, we can help assess the details and switch your business to more appropriate, less expensive services.

» I all ready have a "brick and mortar" store.
A website can expand your business from local to global. Unlike a “brick and mortar” store, a website is always open, your customers can come from all over the world, and the overhead costs are much lower. You have the opportunity to attract new customers without any extra effort on your part*, and you can more easily provide information and products/services to your existing customers. No other investment you make in your business will provide such a high Return On Investment!
Even if you are only interested in reaching regional customers, a website can help increase your business, and reduce your costs among other things.
*With proper search engine marketing, your website will be found by customers, without having to invest in additional advertisement.