SWeCS NEWSLETTER - 12 July 2004
In this issue...
- How Much Should A Website Cost?
- Free AntiVirus Program
- Testimonials
- You Know You're Too High Tech When...
- Resources For Small Business
HOW MUCH SHOULD A WEBSITE COST?
We covered this topic a few years ago, but it
is worthwhile revisiting, considering the huge
variation in services available out there.
There's basically three different costs involved when getting a website:
- The domain name. Unless you want to use
the free webspace provided by your ISP,
then you'll need a domain name. The
advantage of using your free webspace is,
well, that it's free, but it does mean
that you'll have a web address similar to http://members.westnet.com.au/~yourusername.
If you want to have your own domain name
(eg. www.yourdomainname.com.au),
then you'll need to purchase that domain.
Some domain resellers charge around $140 for a .com.au domain name for 2 years. We've even seen someone charging $250! However, there are a number of domain resellers out there who charge as low as $50 for 2 years. Exactly the same product, just a lower price. Ours is one such service - http://domains.southwestecommerce.net.au.
- Hosting your site. If you've chosen to
use your free ISP webspace, you can
ignore this cost. But if you've bought a
domain name, then you need to have it
hosted on the Internet. Talk to your ISP
about their hosting services, as it may
be convenient for you to have it all
packaged together with your normal ISP
account. However, you shouldn't really be
paying any more than around $20 a month
for hosting services. If you can't find
one that low, check ours out at www.southwestecommerce.net.au.
- The actual website. Now this is where the
costs vary significantly. We cringe when
we hear someone say "Oh you can't
get a decent website for under
$10,000...". Absolute rubbish. Sure,
the price varies significantly depending
on what you want, but there are many web
design services out there that tend to
sell you things you don't need, use the
most expensive systems, or simply
overcharge.
Let's take a closer look at some of the different categories of websites.
At the lower end of the scale, if you simply want an informational website which displays your information, contact details, and perhaps even has a form for people to fill in for further information, you should be able to get that for under $700 or $800, for a 5 page website. A single page website should be $500 or less. This will give you a professional looking site, but does assume that you can provide all your own photos and your logo. Costs normally increase if you need to have someone make a new logo for you.
Website costs increase significantly if you want to do anything a bit more complex such as automated newsletter systems, customer databases, or online credit card processing. Each of these systems can add several hundred dollars to the cost of a website. Online credit card processing, or true ecommerce sites, in particular can be a little expensive. This is because you usually need to have a secure payment gateway, Internet Merchant Account (through your bank), an online "shopping cart", plus the web designer to tie it all together. But again, if you look hard enough you can often get a professional website with online sales for under $3000 or $4000, depending on what you want.
Having said all of the above, remember that prices can increase significantly if you want something particularly clever on your site. Just get as many quotes as possible.
One last thing - updates. If you sign up to have someone build your website, make sure you discuss how updates will be done. Most web designers will charge an hourly rate for updates. Others may install a system that lets you update your own site, with or without training. It's important to check before you go ahead with the site.
FREE ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
We've also mentioned this one before, but are
surprised by the number of people who don't have
any virus protection on their computers. We know
because we get email viruses from you (because
we're in your address book).
There's a very good, and free anti-virus program available at www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php. It even has free virus definitions updates.
TESTIMONIALS
Here's some testimonials from our customers:
- "We were more than happy with
the service provided by Graeme & the
team at South West eCommerce Strategies.
They provided us with a quality website
at a substantially lower cost than other
website developers."
www.spencermotors.com.au
- "Using the SWeCS Search Engine
Ranking service is absolutely the best
investment we have made since
establishing the Tourist Radio website.
Not only have they done a great job in
increasing the rankings, thus traffic to
our site, but, have also been a great
sounding board for other ideas."
www.touristradio.com.au
- "South West eCommerce Strategies
has been the the main reason my company
has seen such dramatic sales
results. The team at South
West eCommerce have exceeded my
expectations by placing my Australian
Speakers Bureau at the top of most major
search engines. I am so happy with
the service I am entrusting them to do
the same with my new venture
Datawitness."
www.australianspeakers.com
- "I was very impressed with the
way that you made the changes to my
websites that I requested. You did the
work quickly and let me know when you had
completed the work. You also explained
very clearly how you went about making
the changes so that I now understand how
I can do these myself next time. I would
certainly recommend you to others that I
know."
Peta Townsing - www.montaza.com.au & www.countrygardens.com.au
- "Thanks for all the work you
guys have done for us over the last year,
it truly has been outstanding. I
would definitely recommend your service
for others"
www.dcpstrategic.com
- "I highly recommend the services
of South West eCommerce Strategies. I
have searched high and low to find an
honest and reliable company to help
improve my search engine rankings. And I
finally found one. No hidden fees. They
accomplish what they set out to do with
helpful ideas and suggestions to reach
your goal.
I want to specifically acknowledge Graeme Olsen, a dedicated employer for his expertise. He is quick to respond to all my questions and solves them efficiently. He has the patience of a Saint, and is honest as the day is long. He is eager to go that extra mile for you.
SWeCS is the way to go. They treat you as if you were their only client."
www.cradlerockinc.com
- "SWeCS helped me build our new
website, with tips on design, content and
hosting. Graeme and the team were very
professional - a delight to work
with!"
www.viphomeservices.net
YOU KNOW YOU'RE TOO HIGH TECH WHEN...
-
You haven't played solitaire with a real deck of cards in years.
-
You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
-
You call your son's mobile to let him know that it is time to eat. He emails you back from his bedroom, "What's for dinner?"
-
Your daughter sells Girl Scout Cookies via her web site.
-
You chat several times a day with someone from South Africa, but you haven't spoken with your next door neighbour yet this year.
-
Your daughter just bought a single CD of all the records you used to play.
-
Your grandmother clogs up your email inbox asking you to send her a JPEG file of your newborn so she can create a screen saver.
-
You buy a computer and a week later it is out of date and now sells for half the price you paid.
-
The concept of using real money, instead of credit or debit, to make a purchase is foreign to you.
-
You consider "next day delivery" painfully slow.
-
Your reason for not staying in touch with family is that they do not have email addresses.
-
You hear most of your jokes via email instead of in person.
RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESS
Browse through the SWeCS Ecommerce Library, full of FREE information about getting more out of the Internet. Sections include Web Site Development, Web Site Promotion & Internet Marketing, Online Commerce, Computer & Technical Issues, and Miscellaneous.
The SWeCS Newsletter archives provides a wealth of FREE information on small business and the Internet. Browse through the main topics or search for your particular query.
Start up another income stream, by earning commissions for each referral who signs up for one of our services.
Do you know of a resource that should be added
here? Email us and let us know. There is only one
condition - it must be free.
OTHER EMAIL NEWSLETTERS
Here's some other email newsletters you might
like:
www.dunsboroughbayvillageresort.com/news/newsindex.htm
www.west-oz.com/newsletter/newsletter.asp
http://derekstockley.com/newsletters/news-index.html
This newsletter is produced by South West eCommerce
Strategies - © 2004
PO Box 2340, Bunbury, WA 6230
Ph: (08) 9721 1326
Fax: (08) 9721 1352
Email: admin@southwestecommerce.com
Web Site: www.southwestecommerce.com
