Many smart people do not like computers or are just too busy to get involved with a website project.  If you find yourself in this situation, and know you need or want a website, then save the time and hassle and let Florida Web Design & Hosting create and host it for you!

A website doesn't have to be flashy to be effective  Many pretty sites don't "sell".  We encourage you to shop around.  Buying website design is like buying a car:  It completely depends on the options you choose.  A very basic, simple, professional website consisting of 2-3 web pages and nice graphics can cost as little as $300.  Average sites (5-20 pages) with some basic features (like online shopping cart and reply forms) usually cost between $500 - $2500.  Elaborate sites that include online shopping, interactive forms, databases and other advanced features generally start at $2500.  And, then you have your Hosting Fees! Florida Web Design & Hosting can beat all the prices listed above! 

But we want you to find out for yourself, so before talking to a web designer, spend some time surfing the web and jot down the addresses of sites you like -- and hate!  This will get the design process off to a quick start. You also want to give your designer the addresses of your competitions' sites.

Before you hire a designer, get a detailed estimate that clearly outlines what you can expect for your investment. Keeping in mind that design is not an exact science, it is not unusual for a designer to give you a range  as opposed to a hard quote.

1. Text (or "copy")
Don't underestimate the importance of good copy.  If you don't have well-written copy you'll miss the mark with your website. Your existing brochures, ads, and other advertising materials will provide a copywriter good material to start with, but it will undoubtedly need to be re-written or edited for suitable website use.  If you're a good writer, you can save money by providing all or most of the copy yourself.  Provide the text on a computer disk or via e-mail so the designer doesn't have to type it. Virtually any word processor file will convert easily. 

2. Graphics
This includes everything from photos to your company logo to the buttons and headers on your web pages.  

When you provide photos, they have to be scanned and made into computer files that can be placed on your web pages. It takes time to get the color and compression right so that they look good without taking forever to download.  (Nobody likes to wait too long for graphics to appear.) So the more photos you use, the more of the designer's time will be required. 

Your company logo should shine: Invest in a nice computer-graphics treatment of it. It doesn't have to fly, glow or spin.  It should represent the  professionalism and personality of your business or group.   The buttons and headers are important, too.  

Clip art is an inexpensive way to spruce up a site, but has to be done right or it looks corny and canned.  Original art (created especially for your site by an artist), animated "gifs" (art files that move), and Java scripts will usually add to your costs (from $50 to $500 or more per piece) but can be well worth the money.  

3. Page Layout
Equally important to the text and the graphics is the process of laying out these elements in a way that powerfully communicates the image of your company and the message you're sending to visitors.  On average, you can estimate each page taking 1 - 2 hours of layout time. (This is in addition to  the time it takes to write and/or type text and create graphics.)  So a five page website would be at least ten hours of design time, plus the copywriting and graphics estimate.

So after you have shopped around and know what the going price is, give Florida Web Design & Hosting a call and We'll Make Your Day! 

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