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Web Site DesignGraphic elementsThere are five principle types of graphic elements in a web site. They are photographic images, illustrations, backgrounds, spot color, and the all-important logo. (Note that layout is not included with graphic elements; see web site presentation) Of the five, the single most expensive is the logo. LogoA company's logo is a graphic representation of the very character of a firm. Some logos are minimalist and others are ornate, but all of them are crafted with care and forethought. Remember, the logo you design now will probably be used for years. And it will be used in a number of different contexts - business cards, four-color print ads, letterheads, television, web site, and radio...Okay, maybe not radio, but you get the point. Therefore, your logo must not only represent the image of the company, but it must also look good in electronic form, in high-priced glossy magazines, on fine stationary, and in the Yellow Pages. Needless to say, that is a difficult, time consuming and potentially expensive process. Fortunately, most companies already have their logos designed by the time they entertain the idea of a web presence. As such, your existing logo can be easily and inexpensively adapted to the World Wide Web. Upshot: logo creation from scratch is more expensive than adapting your existing logo. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu Photographic ImagesA web photographic image is just what it states - an image of a precise moment in time, captured on film and presented in electronic form. If you have done any print advertising that involves photographs, you are well aware that the ideal image is full-color and high resolution. You may also be accustomed to the various ways that those images need to be altered in order for them to print properly. The web is much the same; images need to be processed to an appropriate form that maximizes their effectiveness. The monitor you are looking at now presents one restriction on a photographic image; no matter how detailed or how meticulously the initial photograph was created, no image will display at more than 72 pixels, or dots, per inch. What that means to your web site is that the beautiful 1700 dot per inch (DPI) image that looks magnificent on a postcard must be reduced to 72 DPI to present quickly on a web page. And that resolution reduction must be done without sacrificing the overall quality of the image to any noticeable extent. Tough task, but it can be reasonably done. Apart from the actual presentation of your image are two other equally important issues; image size and transmission speed. Size in the world of computers is measured in bytes. You really don't need to have a full grasp of what that represents, but let it suffice to say that it takes about one-half second to download one kilobyte of information when you are using a 14.4 speed modem. So let's say that you have an image on your web site that measures four by four inches. If you were to put that 1700 DPI image directly on your web page, it would contain 361 kilobytes of data and take almost four minutes to download completely. Totally unacceptable; your potential customer would be long gone. That same image, though, processed to 72 DPI would take only six seconds to download. You would still have your potential customer's attention. Some images are very easy to downsize; others are very difficult. The requirements for image processing depend on the image's initial level of fine detail and your decisions concerning compromises between image size, speed and detail. Upshot: Original photography specifically commissioned for the site and the attending image processing is more expensive than presenting us with your images processed according to defined technical specs. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
IllustrationsAn illustration is similar to a photograph in that there are the same resolution constraints involved. In other ways, though, it greatly differs. Your browser is only capable of displaying 216 colors - no more, no less. Not 256. Not thousands. Not millions. Just 216. To simulate the display of more than 216 colors, browsers use a process called dithering. Dithering occurs when the browser cannot faithfully display a given color, so it changes some of the pixels (or dots) to slightly different colors. Now, if you were dithering on a TV set (which is exactly what happens) and view it from a distance, those little dots blend together and seem to make a single intermediate color. With the web, however, the viewer is sitting right on top of the screen. Those little, cheating dithered dots begin to look like giant freckles. We certainly have nothing against freckles, but freckles look a lot cuter on your favorite person than they do on your meticulously designed illustration. Lines are another thing that a web illustrator needs to consider. That same 72 DPI limitation, if not followed to the letter, can result in jaggies. Those are unsightly "steps" on lines and letter edges that make your illustration look like its been drafted on a piece of paper that was subsequently crumpled up and flattened out again. The technical term is icky. The common term is also icky; icky is not something you want from either perspective. One fix for the jaggies condition is called anti-aliasing. Basically, this blends the edges of your illustrations so that they appear more defined. Even the best designers cannot totally eliminate all forms of dithering or jaggies (or a host of other nasty things that can go wrong,) but a professional in the arena of web design can minimize the effects of technical restrictions under which they must work. And remember, an illustration is not just a drawn picture; it can also be a clickable icon, spot color, and edge designs. One other consideration is images that move. You've all seen them. Animated GIFs (GIFs are a file type used on the web) are nothing more than the old flipbooks we grew up with. One takes a number of images all slightly different and presents those images in quick succession. The slight change in each image gives the appearance of movement. But rather than having to create a single image, the designer must now created a series of images. Long sequence animated GIFs can get expensive. Upshot: Original illustrations specifically commissioned for the site and the attending image processing is more expensive than presenting us with your images processed according to defined technical specs. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
BackgroundsYour browser opens to a drab, grayish window that is completely unappealing. You don't see that much anymore because most designers know better than to display the default background. What designers do is to replace that background with one that is pleasing or appropriate to the topic of the web site. That custom background can be something as simple as a single color or it can be as creative as your logo repeated indefinitely, similar to a watermark on fine paper. But how many times have you seen a background that was actually a foreground; it was so loud and so intrusive to the message of the web site that the text disappeared into oblivion. A professional designer will choose the background carefully. The color must be just right - not too light and not too dark. Neither can the color clash with other illustrations or photographs on the page. The density (or brightness level) of the background cannot be too intense so that the words on the page are unreadable. And the background cannot be so busy that it becomes the center of attention. Each background is specifically designed to integrate with the content and intention of your web site and your web site only. It may be stark white like this one (very simple) or it may be a recreation of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (very difficult.) One way or another, it must be done properly. Upshot: The creation of original art and attending processing is more expensive than the use of a simple, single, balanced color. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Spot ColorAll things need some kind of color - even if that color is white or black. Like grace notes in music, spot color adds flavor to your web site and sets it apart from others that may be relatively bland. But you can get carried away with spot color. Colors must be used judiciously, with the entire design of the site kept in balance and control. Color could appear in text, images, buttons, line separators, or other design elements that enhance or accentuate the important elements of the site. The web site designer must consider the number of colors to use, how those colors are integrated throughout all elements of a site, and how each colors coordinates with every other color in the site. Upshot: Most spot color is very inexpensive to add if it can be taken from existing logos, photographs, etc. Any expense in terms of such color occurs in conjunction with original logo, photograph or illustration creation. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu |
Web Site PresentationThe art of layout involves placing graphic and textual elements in the appropriate location. The end result will lead a reader easily through the important aspects of your site.
ControlLayout is not easy although it may seem that way at times. The first decision a layout artist must consider is the very form of the page. Where do the illustrations and photographs go (presuming that such things are even appropriate?) How about the text lay out? Will it be a linear presentation as is this document? or will it be wrapped around other images? Will the text be allowed to default to whatever the end reader has chosen as the type style and type size? or will the layout artist dictate the text elements specifically? Then there is the problem that haunts all web designers in that there are certain things that are completely beyond the control of the layout artist. For instance, the first line of this paragraph began with the word "Then" and ended with the word "are" (the second "are" in the sentence.) If you have your browser window opened to what I think you may have opened it to, that is the way it will appear. But if you have narrowed or widened your window, that ending word will be completely different. That is because the presentation of many elements is dictated by your browser - not the designer. Upshot: Layout can be expensive the more you need graphics integrated with the text. For a linear presentation of text, the cost is not expensive. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
ConstraintsThe designer does, though, have control over the range of possibilities available. There are very few monitors that are smaller than 14 inches (or 480 pixels wide.) There are not many monitors that are larger than 21 inches (in most cases, 1600 pixels wide.) And no matter how large the monitor, your web browser opens with a window that is 450 pixels wide unless you specifically change it. You know those sites that when you open them, you have to scroll left-right just to see those oversized images? That is caused by a designer who has that $3000, 21 inch monitor and assumes that you have one as well. The best layout artists and designers take that into consideration and do not make you go out and purchase a huge monitor to properly view their site. It is the job of the layout artist to take into consideration all those parameters so that no matter what happens on the users end, the page will look good. That means that the layout artist must know when to restrain text and images by constraining their positions on the page, or when to let them float as the window size changes. It means knowing how to use tables appropriately and when not to use tables. It means having the eye to properly place those elements and the knowledge to anticipate anything that a potential viewer can do to alter the intended presentation. Upshot: The physical constraints presented by the technology of the web may require redesign of images previously processed by others to allow for proper placement. That can get expensive. Place and play is not. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Audio and VideoStandard presentationMoney. Just get out your checkbook and start writing checks. Just about anyone can put up an audio or video clip on the web. The trick is to make it of the quality that is good enough so as not to bring back memories of early television or the gramophone. To convert the sound or movie into something that is presentable requires a whole bunch of expensive equipment whose cost must be recouped. Unless a web design house does a lot of conversion, an individual job can get very expensive. And then there is the technical ability of the individual doing the conversion. For sound, if it is too clear, then there is too much data and the sound file will take forever to download. If the sound is not too clear, then it is a smaller file that downloads quickly, but you can probably get better quality sound out of your radio in that 1968 Dodge Dart that you've been meaning to restore for two decades now. The same holds true for video, except that the file sizes for anything that you would ever want to professionally present go through the roof. Then there is the problem of how do you get those sights and sounds to the end user? You have two choices. The first involves feeding the entire file to the end user prior to their listening or watching it. Less expensive, but it takes a long time to get that file to the user's computer. Or you can use streaming technology that downloads the files as your end user is listening or watching your presentation. That gets reeeaaaaalllll expensive. Upshot: unless there is an absolutely legitimate reason to have audio or video on your web site, you had better think twice. One very good reason to use audio/video technology is if you are a recording artist who wants exposure. One bad reason is if the CEO of your company wants to say hello to your customers. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
3-D TechnologyRight now, this is very expensive for the general user. There are some uses, however, that might be acceptable. For instance, if you are a realtor of high-end property, you can put up a 3-D tour of your six million dollar mansion that you have listed. The commission on the sale of that house would justify the cost of the 3-D emulation. Having your CEO say hello while spinning in a chair does not seem to be an effective use. Upshot: unless you can really justify its use, it is best to hold off until the technology improves. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Smell-O-VisionAcquire the collective holdings of Ross Perot, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, the Queen of England, and the Sultan of Brunai and we'll talk further. : ) Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu |
Catalog Presentation
There are two ways of presenting your products or services - static web pages or as a searchable database. Both of them have their proper place and both of them can be botched unmercifully if not done correctly. The presentation of your products must first assume that the pages to be presented are already designed according to the parameters discussed in the Web Site Design section above. The physical presentation of those items properly falls in the arena of programming. One of the most critical aspects of your web site is the ability of an end user to easily find what they are looking for and to be able to easily navigate through the site, always knowing their location relative to everything else. Providing the proper navigation tools is not an easy task. And it is one aspect of your web site that constantly changes as your site develops. The best web site designers fully plan to the fullest extent before the first page is created. Once an intelligent navigation scheme is decided upon, the pages then tend to fall into place with a minimum of alteration. What you want to avoid is a site that is not well planned out in the beginning. What is even worse is to have a site designed that allows little leeway to alter if you decide to expand or add sections to the site. Upshot: navigatability is key to how your potential customers use your site. Spending a bit more up front to do a complete analysis of the intended site will save you lots of cash in the long run. And if it is not done properly from the beginning, you may end up needing to completely re-do your site for what should have been a minor addition. That is expensive. Static pagesThe presentation of small catalogs or those that only have a few categories is best handled by a static web site. Not that static means unchangeable. Hardly... you can alter your web site at will. No, a static web page is simply one in which each page is designed individually and presented as a user clicks on a link to reach it. As described above, there are a host of charges that can go into the creation of those individual pages. But you must also consider navigation costs. Each page must be logically located next to all the others and a user must be able to get from one page (or section) to another with ease. The best rule of thumb is that the bigger the site, the more difficult it is to maintain a reasonable navigation scheme. A site with a home page, four secondary pages (those pages that link directly to the home page) and six tertiary pages linked to each of the secondary pages will be far less expensive than one with twenty secondary pages, and a web of tertiary pages, many of which are interlinked themselves. Upshot: the more complicated the site becomes, the more it will cost to allow the user the means to navigate through it. Simple is inexpensive. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Database serviceA database provides the end user a simple and quick method of getting to a product or service they may want to purchase. Unlike the creation of static pages as detailed above, a database is dynamic and searchable. PagePlan has designed a database structure that gives the end user full control over display and searching capabilities. There is no longer any need for your customer to get lost in a maze of terminology or input schemes such as boolean operators. We make it simple again. We even suggest alternatives to the end users selected choices if you have products that are similar. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Database creationFor large presentations of many products drawn from an extensive product hierarchy, the preferred means is to use a searchable database. There are three charges involved in putting up a database. The first expense involves getting the data into a form that the software can access. A database functions by creating a table where each of the column headings is a different parameter describing the individual item and each row represents a single item. Someone must get whatever data you have to present into that form. Upshot: if you have a paper catalog without any of the information contained therein in electronic form, the creation of a database will be expensive...maybe. You, the client, are welcome to reduce your costs significantly by creating the initial database table yourself. It is not particularly difficult, just very time consuming. If you have all your data already in some sort of database table, the process is very inexpensive. If you have the data in electronic form, but not already in a table format, the price is somewhere in between. Large database tables cost more to create than small database tables. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Database programmingOnce the database table is created, that table must then be linked to what the user sees and uses. When you use a search engine like Alta Vista or Magellan, you are not actually seeing the database itself. You are seeing the graphic wrap-around to that database. Each database has several types of pages that must be designed. They are:
Those pages are then "activated" by giving them user functionality via programming, linking them to the database itself. Upshot: the cost to program a database is static regardless of how many items one wishes to present. The cost to create the wrap pages depends solely on the complexity of the graphics involved. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Text CreationHaving no where else to put this category, we deemed it appropriate to include it here. That is not to say the the creation of text is not important; next to the overall design of a site, the text stands head-to-head as the most critical aspect of your marketing program. Without clear and concise text, your potential customer has no way of evaluating your product or service. Text is your link to your customer's understanding of why he or she should purchase what you have to offer to the exclusion of your competitors. Needless to say, the creation of text is a laborious process, involving meticulous detail to not only sentence construction, but to the proper conveyance of the message you want to send. The problem is that only you know the precise message; such is the weakness of ghost writing. Not to say that ghost writing can not be successful, but consider what it takes for someone to come in and convey your thoughts. Let's look at the example of an autobiography. As most of you fully understand, the chances that any individual who desires to write their autobiography actually having the skills to write the text are rather slim. Often a ghost writer is brought in to compose the actual text. That ghost writer needs to spend months or years with the subject and become immersed in the life of the one written about. Time is expensive. A similar process takes place on the level of technical writing - the are of "ghosting" the text of your product for appropriate presentation. The writer must become familiar with your product, your industry, and your people. That is again a time-consuming process. Upshot: The more text the client can write, the less expensive the project becomes. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu |
Web Hosting CostsThere are five charges involved in hosting a web site. They are web site installation, recurrent monthly hosting fees, database and special services charges, web site maintenance, and InterNIC fees. For more detailed information of specific pricing, please see the web site for our sister company, PagePlop Web Hosting Service.
Web Site InstallationVery simply put, the web site installation is equal to the cost of the monthly hosting fee. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Monthly hosting feeOur pricing is based on a single price point and then you add what you need a la carte. You therefore pay only for what you use and not a penny more. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Database and special services chargesThe charges are based on the number of times a product presentation page is shown. Recall that a presentation page is one where your potential customer can directly order a product of service from that page. We do not charge for intermediate database hits that are involved in the ultimate presentation of that product presentation page. Certain services incur special charges according to their actual use over and above the recurrent monthly hosting fee. They include real-time audio and video delivery, the distribution of software, listserv announce lists, and the "naked shopping cart" (that is when a shopping cart is used on a static web catalog so that a customer can order multiple items without the use of a database and search engine.) Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
Web Site MaintenanceAll web sites need to be maintained from time to time. Products and prices change. Description change. And eventually the site design gets stale just like a long-running print or TV ad campaign. You have full control over those maintenance costs in that you can have us take control of all interactions and changes, or you can perform them all yourself if you are comfortable in doing so. And we provide a web-based, database update form so that you can use a simple fill-in-the-blank method of updating your database table whenever you like yourself. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu
InterNIC feesInterNIC is a company that makes sure your web address is unique, They also are integral in making sure that when someone types in your URL, they actually get to your site. InterNIC charges $50 per year (with two years up front) to provide that service. If you desire your own domain name, you must pay the InterNIC fee. We do not place any additional charge on top of what InterNIC charges and we never charge you for domain name registration. You may elect to have a non-domain name without the InterNIC fee incurred if that is your choice. Page Index | Top of Web Hosting Costs section | PagePlan navigation menu |
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