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FAQ
FAQ
WEBSITE FAQ
What makes a good website?
Googled anything lately?
- If so, you've hit more websites than God....sidestepping advertisers, bloggers, crooks, crap and still hundreds of thousands of sites jostling for your attention...
A good website stands out
Let's face it: we browse the internet with high expecations and low attention spans, therefore:
FIRST, your website has 5 seconds (or less) to catch my eyeball
First impressions are key (design)
SECOND (if you've successfully caught my eye) I'll give you another ten seconds to tickle my fancy
Content is king. Your website must clearly convey what you're offering and why
THEN (assuming I'm interested) your website has another twenty seconds to benefit me
Content and design must work together to generate a positive & useful user-experience
FINALLY if your site appears to be helpful, I might stay another thirty seconds or more to test the merit of your site
Content and design must work together to truly serve the visitor
Bottom line: seize your visitor with POWERFUL DESIGN and HELPFUL CONTENT or they won't stay
Why do I need a good website?
Our world is online...and your website is your primary representative in it
- DISTINGUISHING you from competition (by its presentation and functionality)
- providing customers, friends, and/or family with 24/7 ACCESS to your information, products, and services
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providing IT TOOLS for effective communication and coordination of information to clients, staff, family, friends...
Design a proper website, or fall behind. It's that simple.
What is the difference between 'design' and 'content'?
WEB CONTENT
- includes any proprietary (or non-proprietary) copy and graphics that are on a web-page: the words, the pictures, the data.
WEB DESIGN
- manages how the site processes content for your audience: the input, the functionality, the output.
What type of websites do we design?
ITstudio designs custom Joomla CMS websites
Our process is to integrate TOP OF THE LINE Joomla templates, CUSTOMIZABLE APPLICATIONS, and YOUR CONTENT to achieve original, flexible, state-of-the-art websites that look/work perfectly for your business.
- Note: this method is better and cheaper than traditional design - saving you the time and cost of building inflexible websites requiring 3rd party HTML / CSS / PHP programmers
What is JOOMLA?
Joomla is (arguably) the best open-source CMS in the world
What are the benefits of Joomla CMS?
- Gorgeous and flexible look/feel presentation
- Easy to manage
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Premier functionality
- better application - capability to fully customize functionality/purpose
- greater flexibility - versatility to change presentation/functionality on the fly
- superior tracking/analysis of website data/performance
- Premium SEO optimization (ability to define/track/refine)
- Top-grade security (updatable)
- 100% open-source (user ownership, community support, ++)
- Less cost (you're not building the engine, you're customizing it)
What kind of functionality can be built into my CMS website?
USER / INTERACTIVE
- Ecommerce
- Social Bookmarking / RSS Links
- Commenting / Testimonials
- Blog
- Forum
- Newsletter
- Community / Social Management
- Chat / Private Messaging
- Classifieds
- Project Management
- Calendar / Event Management
- Map-link/search (Google)
- Date / Time
- Weather Reports
CONTENT / DISPLAY
- WYSIWYG
- Auto-Template
- Link Navigation
- Tooltips
- Custom Forms
- Custom FAQ
- Custom Menus
- File / Document Management (secure)
- Favicon
- Multimedia (image/video/sound/feed)
- Banners / Ads (incl tracking)
- Slideshows / Image Rotators
- Image Gallery
- Multi-language (translation)
CORE / ADMINISTRATIVE
- Custom Administration (enhanced)
- SEF Optimization
- SEO Management
- Metadata Management
- Site Map + Pingback
- Analytics (Google &/or Embedded)
- Enhanced Security
- ACL (Control / Management)
- PDA Conversion
- Browser Detection / Warnings
- Site Backup
- Site Update
- Stats Counters
- File Management
...and much MORE...!
How does ITstudio create my website?
The following illustrates our typical company-client workflow:
- We chat together to determine what you need/want in a website
- ITstudio quotes you a price estimate based on your specifications
- We agree to terms, and you deposit 25% of our contract to begin work
- You detail the general layout / functionality / requirements of your site
- Together we choose an appropriate design layout to platform these requirements
- EITHER you provide ITstudio with your preliminary site content OR we work together to create it (as per contract)
- ITstudio draws up and delivers you a preliminary site-map
- We finalize/approve the site map and all preliminary site content, then you deposit another 25% to begin the preliminary site build
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ITstudio builds your preliminary website (as per site-map/content)
- note that EITHER ITstudio provides your domain/hosting solution, or you authorize us access to these 3rd-party providers
- We mount the preliminary website for your critique
- You provide ITstudio with feedback (notes) plus another 25% of our contract to refine your website
- We refine and finalize the website (according to your notes/feedback)
- You approve your final website, depositing the final 25% of our contract to receive all source keys/backups of your brand new website
WEB SUPPORT FAQ
Can I setup and/or manage my website myself?
YES. But if you're busy or 'technologically challenged', we recommend letting ITstudio manage it for you...
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Why? Because although web-setup / management isn't difficult, both are typically time consuming and technical to the inexperienced...and therefore easier/cheaper for you to contract out (unless you know exactly what you're doing)
Should I register my domain myself or let ITstudio handle it for me?
We recommend BOTH
While you should always ensure that your domain name is registered with your own personal email address (as the legal owner of the domain), you should also allow a trusted professional set it up on your behalf.
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Why?...because a professional will set you up properly
- using only the best registrars (saving you $ while protecting you from con-artists, poor service providers)
- configuring the domain correctly (saving you time / energy / headaches / hassles)
Why should I use ITstudio's web-hosting service?
Web-hosting is a highly competitive market populated with low-grade service providers. With us you gain the benefit of our experience alongside premium, affordable hosting service.
fast, reliable hosting, at a very low cost (experience has taught us what/who to trust and what/who to avoid)
ease & simplicity should any software-related conflicts/hiccups/service interruptions occur
(since we built your site - we can more easily maintain it on our server...which ultimately makes it easier & cheaper for you)
COMPUTER SUPPORT FAQ
I need better software to do (x-y-z)
Need a better software solution?
At ITstudio, we help you find the best software for your needs...which typically means 100% open-source, reliable, and free!
Just tell us what you need and we'll help you install it and/or point you in the right direction.
Remember: if we can't solve it, it's free!
Why does ITstudio typically use "Freeware" and "Open Source" software?
ITstudio prefers these software types because they WORK BETTER & SAVE YOU $$
FREEWARE
...is proprietary software (kept under copyright) but is available to the public for free or at an optional cost
OPEN SOURCE
...has an "open" copyright to allow anyone and everyone to study, change, and improve it (for everybody's benefit)
I don't understand why my @%ing computer is....#*!@?
Frustrated with windows?
Contact Us. We're cheaper than professional counsellors, and our open-source remedies cure windows-related headaches.
I need hands-on help. Do you do house calls?
YES (for a small fee).. plus we do REMOTE ACCESS SUPPORT (for free!)
What's a R.A.S.?
--> Faster than a doctor and more powerful than a locomotive, we leap across the internet to fix your computer safely, securely, and immediately. (...now what doctor can do that?!?) All you need is an internet connection. Just show us what's wrong and let us handle the rest!
COMPANY FAQ
How we beat our competition (at web-design)
We're not your typical web-designer...
Most web-designers specialize in EITHER HTML programming OR CSS design OR PHP programming OR graphic design OR copywriting OR CMS support...WHEREAS ITstudio offers you everything you need to build a superior, managable website in Joomla's 100% free open-source platform.
ITstudio integrates multiple skill-sets for a total web-solution
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Do we code PHP/CSS/HTML? Yes...but we save you time and $ by modifying superior HTML/CSS/PHP templates to suit your brand (which far better/cheaper than core design)
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Do we graphic design? Yes...customizing flash, images, media
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Do we refine and formulate copy? Yes..we work with you to create powerful, branded, SEO-friendly text
- Do we understand Joomla CMS? Are you kidding?...we build, manage, customize and support Joomla websites every single day
- Are we resourceful? Definitely...employing logical, creative design methods to deliver better websites every time
How we beat our competition (at IT / Windows support)
We speak your language...
Unlike typical support-techies, ITstudio employs fun, down-to-earth professionals who thoroughly understand Microsoft Windows (and MS-based solutions)
...and we make IT better
Like you, we understand what it's like to be stuck with a computer problem that you can't fix....that's why:
- We never charge for diagnosis...rather you only pay when the problem is fixed
- We use 100% open-source solutions (wherever possible) for low cost, long-term benefit and reliability
- We help educate you to what's happening with your computer (to better equip you to handle IT in the future)