Services and Products offered by Robert Freeman
Websites are diverse in function and cost but this form will give you some estimates to start with.
Web Site Changes and Updates: I don't charge for small updates on websites that I create and maintain. Trivial updates are usually completed within a day. Enhancements that require more time and effort will be billed at the prices listed above but will always be completed in a timely fashion.
I write code that will validate according to current W3C standards. Before you hire a webmaster you should check their previous work to see if it is written properly and validates according to web standards. A simple tool you can use is the WDG Validator. Just type in the web site address, click the "Validate entire site" box and click the "Validate it!" button. If there are a few errors reported ask the webmaster to explain why (there are a couple of valid reasons related to google ads and paypal forms). If the website generates dozens or hundreds of errors look for a different webmaster.
- Answers to common questions -
- Do I really need a business website?
- Should I hire someone to build my website or can I do it myself?
Do I really need a business website?
Yes.. you probably do need a website. We are well past the point at which business credibility is based on whether or not
you have a website. Just like a phone number if your business doesn't have a website many people question whether you are
going to be around for long. The web is rapidly replacing the phone book as a source of information on products and services
because you can get much more information from a website than you can from a small printed ad or short radio/tv ad. Customers
want to be able to examine your offerings in private... on their schedule. It's inexpensive to have a web presence
especially when compared to other forms of advertising. With a website - pages of information about your business are
available 24 hours a day, year after year, to millions of people... figure the cost of that in any other form of advertising!
Email is now an important part of business too. If you are using a free email account (ends in yahoo.com or hotmail.com)
you look like a fly-by-night company which, I'm sure you will agree, is not a good thing. Some free email providers also add
their own ads to the bottom of your business correspondence which may not reflect well on your business. Respectable email
accounts/addresses are included with your website.
Should I hire someone to build my website or can I do it myself?
This is a question that simply does not get asked enough because the web is full of sites that don't represent their
purpose effectively or even worse don't function correctly on a variety of systems, monitors, browsers, etc....
Let me lay a foundation that all web related decisions should be based on.
If your web site appears inferior or doesn't work properly customers will assume to see the same in your products and services.
It's not just a matter of having a website but the quality of your site is very important.
On the web your competitors are only a click away so loyalty, patience and tolerance are in very short supply.
With that in mind how do you determine if you need professional help... um...heh... web help?
Here is my rule of thumb:
If you have a plain white business card (or none at all), your competition is limited AND you are successful then there is a
good chance that you can create your own website from a variety of pre-built templates. 1and1.com has many to choose from.
Keep in mind that your site may not validate according to current standards and it will look like others that have chosen the
same template.
If, however, you are in a competitive industry or have a need/desire to distinguish yourself from your competitors then
you should hire an experienced designer and programmer. These skills may be represented in distinct individuals or in
one person ( webmaster ).
There are certainly rules, based on scientific testing, concerning good design but within these rules is a wide variety
of styles. Most good designers are educated in these facts but don't have the training or experience to properly program a
website; if you already have a designer make sure you get a experienced programmer that can build their vision on the web.
I have many years of experience and training in design, programming and database development so if you like my style I can
provide one stop shopping. If you already have a designer (even if they have only created a business card logo that you like)
I can turn their design into a great looking website based on current technologies and standards.
I never recommend trying to build your own website from scratch or having someone without a great deal of experience
build it for you. The web business is a rapidly evolving and highly technical field that requires a full time
commitment to keep up with. In a nutshell - hire an accountant, lawyer and web developer. Use your talents, focus and time
to accomplish your core business goals. If your on an extremely tight budget a pre-built template is a better choice than
going it alone but keep in mind my custom designed websites are inexpensive and most businesses can pay for them with just
one loyal web customer... many with only one sale or contract.
Credit Card payments welcome:
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If you have any questions not answered on the site feel free to contact me.