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1. I'd like to have a web site of my own, but I'm not sure whether to do it myself or have it professionally built. What's the best way to go?
2. My cousin's college roommate makes web sites, and they're cheap. Why shouldn't I hire him to do it?
3. If I decide to have invisibleimage construct my site, what role will I play in the process? What will I need to supply in terms of pictures and text? How much control will I have over the design of the site?
4. Can I sell things from my web site? What are my options for e-commerce?
5. What is this going to cost me?
6. How do we start, and how long does it take?
7. Do I need to have my own virtual domain (web address, i.e., "www.myname.com")? How do I get one?
8. Once I have my site up and running, how do I make changes and revisions?
9. I have questions that are not addressed on this page. How do I get the answers?
 
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1.

It all depends on what you want your web site to accomplish.

If you want to post personal information that will be of interest primarily to friends and family, then chances are you'd do well with a site that reflects your idiosyncrasies. You can easily put together a web site that includes text and images to suit your purposes. A low-cost graphics or drawing application will allow you to create navigation graphics. There are also a few personal web page programs available that you can use for layout and linking without requiring a knowledge of html (the code underneath the web page that tells the computer how to display the information). Most Internet Service Providers (ISP's) provide space for a personal web page as part of your e-mail account, so you can post your own web site without incurring any extra cost...just the time it will take to learn how to do it.

If, on the other hand, you'd like to produce a professional-looking web site that will well represent your organization, business, or event, a professionally designed site is in order.

 
  2. One important thing to keep in mind when deciding on a web site designer is the fact that web sites tend to evolve over time. Both the content you want to provide and the technology that delivers it are continually changing. So it's a good idea to work with somebody who is going to be around to help you keep your web site current and to take advantage of new technologies. Your cousin's roommate may make "killer" web sites in his spare time, but what are you going to do next year when you need major revisions requiring complex architectural reworking of the site, and your web-guy is out selling pharmaceuticals and he trashed all the original graphics files?
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  3. Your involvement in the design and implementation of the site is up to you. Some clients prefer to let invisibleimage come up with design and architecture proposals for approval; some would rather plan their own and have invisibleimage implement the site. Most fall somewhere in between, but this is determined in the initial stages. In any case, the client's needs are the primary determining factor. Graphics and text need to be gathered and can be generated by you, by invisibleimage, by a third party artist/writer, or some combination of these. The bottom line is you can be as involved as you want to be.
 
  4. Yes, you can sell products from your web site. Your e-commerce options depend primarily on your budget and the number of items you want to offer. It is possible, for instance, to simply include a printable order form that your prospective customer can fill in, print out and mail or fax to you with a check. This takes little investment on your part since all you need is that extra page as part of your web site If you want to accept credit card card orders, however, you begin to get into more expensive monthly costs. Maintaining a secure shopping cart also involves monthly expenses beyond the cost of the web site itself. Given the costs of credit card transactions and verification and shopping cart functionality, it usually only makes sense to go that route if your expect a high enough volume and profit margin to support the overhead. Invisibleimage takes no cut from your transactions and will offer the most efficient and cost-effective solutions for your goals.
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  5. Because there are so many variables involved, invisibleimage estimates costs on an individual project basis. We do not use off-the-shelf templates or plug in ready-made graphics and layouts. This made-to-order approach allows us to design the most cost-effective web site according to your budget and your purposes.
 
  6. We start with an initial (cost-free) consultation during which we discuss your needs, expectations and options. Within a few days after the consultation invisibleimage will propose a range of possible web sites with cost estimates. Upon approval of a proposal, you pay one half the amount of the estimate. The second half is due upon completion of the project. There will also be a tentative completion date determined by the complexity of the project and the extent to which you will be supplying material and the availability of material (text, images, etc.).
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  7. Many ISP's (Internet Service Providers...the folks you pay for your e-mail account) offer space for a personal web page as part of your monthly fee. You can elect to use that "free" space to post your web site, in which case your web address would be something like www.yourISP'sName.com/~members/yourName/. The price is right but it's not terribly elegant. If you want "www.daydreamnation.com", you have to register the name ($70/two years) through an agency such as NetworkSolutions and pay a yearly fee thereafter to keep it. You can generally secure the registration through your ISP, or you can have invisibleimage take care of it as part of your project. Be aware however, that the domain name you want may be taken, so you should have alternatives in mind when you begin this process. You can check on the availability of names by going to the Network Solutions web site. invisibleimage can arrange web hosting for you, or you can set this up yourself.
 
  8. Once your site is up and running invisibleimage will be happy to maintain the site, making changes and revisions as needed, at a rate of $70/hour. Many minor revisions can be accomplished within a half hour, and you can save money by "batching" revisions rather than requesting them sporadically. You can also cut costs by supplying digital files rather than hard copy that needs to be scanned or transcribed. In any case, extensive revisions will be estimated and approved. Invisibleimage can also train you to take care of the site yourself, to whatever extent you would like.
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  9. If you have more questions, please feel free to contact invisibleimage by e-mail or call (802)457-4119.