Whoa!!… welcome dear web surfer to our semi-detailed roadmap to the enchanting world of website design.
But, first the caveat! Website design is not for the faint of heart: It is a skill acquired through hundreds of hours of trial and error coupled with more than an ounce of creative juices and a gallon or more of perseverance to tweak and tweak and sometimes even toss a crumpled project in the trash and start afresh… whew!!
We know. We’ve climbed the mountain and are still climbing. Sure, the software vendors will offer the do-it-yourself kits that can produce a modestly acceptable product. The reality, however, is that in today’s highly competitive world the number of “also ran” websites is legion.
If you plan to leverage your business to a higher level with a website that not only has visual appeal, but scores well in search engine selection, user friendliness, accuracy and completeness of information, you probably need professional help.
That’s US, of course!
Picking out a web designer in Appleton to match your project goals can be a daunting task. Let’s see if we can offer some useful advice.
Take The Tour Of Our Site
Take the tour, get a feel for whether your time and talents are better spent on managing and developing your business enterprise or learning and perfecting the challenging skill of website design. It’s a simple evaluation of ROI (return on investment).
Would you get a law degree to prepare yourself for the task of writing a partnership agreement??? Perhaps not a perfect example, but you get the idea. Try out the idea of a DIY website or re-write. Noodle the idea around for awhile. After taking a few deep breaths you still like the challenge… go for it.
If, on the other hand, common sense reigns in naive ambition, call us. We have the talent, experience, and portfolio that will convince you to stick to what you do best and seek our professional service that will reward your business with the image, customer appeal and sales that are our bottom line, too.
If you’re a business, don’t fly coach,
fly business!
The Tour Begins…
If you’re just starting out looking for information on how to design a website, then you’ve come to the right place. This site offers information on building a website that works with proven techniques and methods. Forget about Flash, or PHP, or Adsense, or blogging for awhile. To know what it takes to design a great website that generates free traffic comes down to four basics principles:
Then, and only then, can you think about Monetizing your website. Starting out thinking about the money you can make from the Internet is the wrong way to start. As Ken Evoy says “It’s like pushing a string”. If you’re intending to set up a website, sit back, and watch the money roll in… well, you’re going to be waiting an awfully long time.
Hiring a Website Designer
Sandhill Website Design offers affordable small business website design and small business website maintenance. And for those who have a burning desire to build a successful website on your own we highly recommend the Site Build It! system for success.
We’re a small business ourselves and we love catering to other small businesses that are either just starting their business or starting to research their website development options. Having a website can be a powerful way to draw targeted and ready-to-buy customers to your doorstep.
We understand how important a great website presence can enhance not only the image, but the bottom line of your small business. And nowadays, having a website presence is more important than ever. How many times have you had customers or clients ask you for your website address?
Even a small website can function as an on-line brochure for your business, offering clients information and pictures of you and your business offerings. A simple 3-5 page affordable small business website can be a great way to get your “feet wet” to see if a website is really right for you and your growing business.
We realize there are a couple common reasons many existing businesses don’t currently have a website (or were afraid to ask about getting one):
- 1) perceived cost
- 2) perceived complexity
Let’s take a look at each of these and hopefully relieve some of your concerns…
“A Website Costs Sooo Much!”
Well, yes and no. Before considering the cost of a website you really have to look at the return on investment. Because a website is, essentially, an advertising tool, let’s compare it to other forms of advertising you may be doing.
First, analyze how much your business is currently spending on advertising and if you feel it’s truly bringing in customers/clients for you. If you’ve been doing any Yellow Pages or newspaper advertising you know how expensive this can get.
Then ask yourself if you can directly monitor how many people view your ads, what was on their minds when they came to your ad (what “keywords” brought them in), and how long they looked at your ad, and which pieces of information kept them looking at your ad the longest. Can print advertising do this for you?
And what if you want to make changes or additions to a print ad. Sorry. You can make changes if you submit them on time before the next publication deadline. But, what if the print advertising has an error… like your phone number. That never happens, right?
So if you were to spend the same dollar amount on traditional print advertising (and don’t get me wrong, print advertising does have it’s place) you would have a form of advertising that’s easily update-able, and one where you can track your visitors’ behavior to really zero in on what’s working and what’s not. Traffic statistics can be very powerful.
It’s also a great way to reduce your Yellow Page bill from a several-thousand dollar format to a much more affordable 3-line format that includes your website address. And once your website is up and running to your specifications we are always available to make changes and updates to reflect the changing status of your business. Sorry Yellow Pages.
Services Offered at
Sandhill Website Design
Please refer to out Rates page at “How Much Does a Website Cost” for our latest pricing structure. We offer 3 levels of website design (Starter, Business Builder, and Content Rich) and 3 levels of website management.
So, in your research in finding information on how to build a website you’ll find some great beginning information on this site… and we’ll keep adding over time. But, if you’re a busy small business owner that doesn’t have the time to devote to building and maintaining a website and wants to hire a professional, give us a call.
There’s a LOT of satisfaction in building your own website, but sometimes the cost-benefit analysis doesn’t work out in your favor. That’s where we can help…
“It’s Too Confusing, I Don’t Know
Where to Start”
Anything to do with computers and the Internet can be quite intimidating to some folks. That’s ok, we’re here to help answer your questions and advise you on the best options for your business right now. We see ourselves as kind of like “interpreters” between the technical field of successful website building and everyday, non-techy folks maybe like you.
Actually, explaining what a website can do for your business is pretty simple. We feel it’s THE best way to advertise and endear people to who you are and what you sell. Simplifying the issue of what to put on your website and how to manage it comes naturally to us (did you know Anne used to be a high school science teacher many years ago?)