Questions covered in this section are:
Do you have a question that's not on this list? Ask us.
How can I get people to visit my web site?
The standard answer to this question is: get your site listed in the major internet search engines. That is certainly an important step, but if it's the only one you take then you may be losing out on a lot of visitors. Prince Virtual Communications has a repertoire of more than 100 additional activities that can be used to bring visitors to your site. We can put together and implement a comprehensive on-line marketing strategy that is tailored specifically for your business.
I can fill out search engine forms. Why should I spend money for a professional internet marketing firm?
Maybe you shouldn't. If you know things like how each search engine determines the priority and positioning of each submission, how to choose effective keywords, how long each search engine takes to add a site, how to use "meta" tags, and the quirks and pitfalls of using mass submit-engines like "Submit It" or "PostMaster," then you should be able to get your site registered effectively in the main search engines with no trouble.
But is search engine registration the only method you need to promote your site? Take a look at the FAQ about attracting visitors to your site.
Can I tell how many people have visited my web site? Can I tell who they are?
You can have a "counter" on one or more pages of your web site that will record the number of times that page has been looked at. You can have statistical software record and give you a report on some additional information, such as what internet service provider your visitors were logged onto when they visited your site and what web browsers your visitors used. Prince Virtual Communications can set up counters or statistical software to record and analyze this information for you.
However, if you wish to know the specific e-mail address or name of the persons who visit your web site, you will have to get them to voluntarily give you that information by having them fill out a form or send you an e-mail. Prince Virtual Communications can help you design and implement a strategy to get visitors to give you this information.
HTML is easy. Why should I spend money for a professional web design and development firm?
There are a number of reasons to consider contracting your web site to a professional web firm. Some questions to ask while making your decision are:
- How much time will I or my staff realistically spend in doing the site? It always takes longer to learn how to do something than for an experienced professional to do it. If your staff earns $10 an hour and it will take them 25 man-hours, you might be better off to spend an equivalent amount on a professional who will probably deliver a much more polished and effectively designed site for the same cost outlay. Be sure to calculate the real time costs---not just how much time it will take you to do the site, but how many revisions will have to be done, how much time will be spent looking things up in books or on the web, how much time will be tied up by the trial-and-error method, and---very important!---how many other tasks will be neglected or get behind while your staff is doing the site.
- How soon can I or my staff do the site? Will creating the web site have top priority, or will it get pushed back by other tasks and crisises? If so, the task of creating your web site may stretch out for weeks or months. It may be best to have a professional take the job and get it done.
- Do I or my staff have the knowledge, equipment, and software to put the HTML files, once created, on the internet service provider's server? This will require knowledge of domain names or IP addresses, file transfer protocol (FTP) transactions, and some basic manipulation of the files and directories on the internet service provider's server (for instance, on a UNIX server, you may need to create subdirectories and change file and directory permissions). If this is more hassle than you want to get involved with, you should go to a professional firm.
- Do I want interactive forms, database access, visit counters, java, or similar features on your web site? If so, can I or my staff do java and cgi-bin programming? If not, using a professional firm can save you a lot of money.
- Do I or my staff have experience in optimizing HTML and graphics so that the web pages load quickly and look good in a variety of browsers? These are the kinds of things that an experienced professional knows in and out, without spending hours experimenting.
- Do I or my staff know the quirks of translating print design principles to a web format? Do we know the principles of good web navigation? This sort of thing can be learned from books, but do you want to pay your staff to do it when you'd get the knowledge "built-in" at no extra cost from a professional firm?
Prince Virtual Communications has extensive experience in all of these areas and can make the creation and set-up of your web site a fast and hassle-free experience.
I have a web site, but nobody visits it and my products aren't selling. What can I do?
You may have several problems. If you don't have enough visitors, your site needs to be marketed more effectively. If you have visitors but your products aren't selling, your site may need an overhaul and redesign to make it easier to use or to showcase your product more attractively. If you have visitors who see the site once but do not return, your site needs to be revamped to offer visitors something they will want to return for. Our web site review and evaluation service and our marketing strategy consulting service can help you solve these problems.
How long would it take for Prince Virtual Communications to create a web site for me?
Web sites that are under 10 pages can usually be ready in less than five days (often just two days). The HTML part of small sites is usually finished by the time the internet service provider has the web area on their server ready to receive the files. Small but technically complex sites, and larger sites, may take more time. Prince Virtual Communications will work with you to meet your timeframe requirements.
What if I want to change what's on my web site?
It is very easy to update the information on a web site. You can do it yourself if you know how and want to. If you don't know how to do it yourself but would like to, Prince Virtual Communications can train your personnel to do it.
On the other hand, it is often easiest to have your internet designer make the changes for you. Prince Virtual Communications can make changes for you on an ad hoc basis, or you can contract with our company for regular maintenance. Our maintenance plans start at just $10 a month (with discounts for prepayment on multi-month contracts).
Are my competitors on the web? What are they doing?
Getting information about what competitors are doing in any advertising or marketing arena is a major concern for any business. Prince Virtual Communications can find this out for you.
Can I make money on the internet?
Some types of products sell well on the internet, while others have not succeeded to date. However, even if you don't make money, you will almost certainly save some money by using the internet to cut the costs of business communications if you make full use of e-mail and other file transfer methods.
What kind of sales can I expect from my web site?
The average, according to most internet marketing surveys, is that you can expect 2 or 3 sales for every 100 visits to your web site. However, careful targeting of your on-line advertising can greatly improve that number. Of course, the same factors that matter in traditional marketing still matter on the internet, such as your pricing, the perceived quality of your product, the generality of your product's appeal, and so on.
What if my company/organization is located far away from Prince Virtual Communications?
We have successfully worked with several businesses/organizations that were located in other areas of the country. Here's how.
How much does the internet cost?
Internet service providers---companies that provide you with access to the internet---are currently engaged in a price war, so the costs of connecting are dropping daily. In general, you can get business e-mail accounts (not web access) for around $6 a month (and personal---not business--e-mail for free from some special providers). Full internet access will probably be about $10 for 40 or 60 hours of access a month. There are different costs depending on the different services and the extent of access you need. Prince Virtual Communications can save you time and money by recommending the internet service provider that meets all your needs for the least costs. If you don't have the time or need the extra hassle, we can even set up your account with the internet service provider. (Note that the cost of a web site is different from the cost of internet access.)
An alternative is for your company or organization to set up its own server and access line. There are a number of significant costs connected with this and a number of ways to do it. Prince Virtual Communications has experience with this and can provide consulting and development for this activity.
How much does a web site cost?
There are two basic costs for a web site: the cost of paying an internet service provider to keep ("host") the files that make up the web site on their server and the cost of creating the web pages.
In general, web site hosting by an internet service provider will cost about $10 a month, and there is sometimes also a one-time set-up fee. This amount is usually in addition to the cost of internet access (if you want it) via that internet service provider.
The cost of creating the web pages can vary widely, based on what you want. Many web design and development firms and internet service providers have pre-determined "packages" that you can purchase that contain only a certain arbitrary number of links, pages, graphics, etc. Of course, the contents of these pre-determined packages may not exactly meet your needs; you may end up paying for more than you need or not getting as much as you need for your money. Prince Virtual Communications has completely flexible pricing, based entirely on your needs, not any arbitrary packages. We have done web sites for as little as $100. Please check out our web site design, development, and implementation services.
Do I have to buy new equipment or upgrade my old equipment to use the internet?
Maybe. It depends on what equipment you have and what you'd like to be able to do online. Prince Virtual Communications can evaluate your existing equipment and your needs, then recommend a solution.
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