Why should I establish a website? The World Wide Web (WWW) is now an important part of business marketing. Even if you don't sell products online, customers expect to be able to find your company's website and get more information about the products and services you offer. Additionally, the www is a unique media, in that users can interact with it and choose where they want to go, and what they want to see. It's no longer a captive audience, as traditional media might have been. Harris Polls recently released a new study that said 77 million Americans will use the web in influencing their buying decisions, and that online shoppers plan to spend a record $9.5 billion this holiday season. Do you want to be left behind? How will anyone find my site? If your company is already known, it's a good idea to have your own domain name (www.yourbusiness.com). Although there are a variety of methods to attract visitors, search engines remain the best way to be found. However, submitting your URL to a search engine isn't enough. You have to plan ahead and tailor pages to each search engine's requirements. Can I afford it? Sure! We have a variety of ideas to work within your budget. Whether you want one simple page to announce your presence on the web, or you want a complex, ever-changing mega site, JAL Media will work with you, taking into consideration your budget needs. And we'll give you a firm price up front - no hidden costs to pay as the project nears completion! What makes a good website? 1. Content The most important element of an effective website is its content. Whether your purpose is to market a product or service, provide information, or entertain, the fundamental aspect of the site design process should be the gathering and organization of the content you wish to present. JAL Media will assist you in organizing content so it can be presented in a manner that makes it both attractive and easy to access. 2. First Impression If you want a corporate site, your first page is your cyber storefront. Presenting a clean, professional, attractive front page helps put you a step ahead of the competition. 3. Ease of Navigation An easily accessible, understandable, interactive interface which allows visitors quick access to their areas of interest is an essential element of a successful web site. Remember to take into consideration the needs of your customers. 4. Fast Download Your site needs to have optimized graphics so that they will load as quickly as possible. Complex graphics are pretty, but if they bog down the site, your customers won't stick around. We can advise you on making the process as quick as possible, yet still allowing the experience to be visually stimulating. 5. Making your site accessible to all Have you ever visited a site that seemed out of "whack?" It didn't look that way to the person who designed it - it probably looked great. But many web designers fail to take into consideration the many screen resolutions and browser varieties that exist, and design for one resolution, and one browser. At JAL Media, we will test your site on every resolution and the major browsers, including AOL and WebTV. (These two browsers present special problems, yet account for as much as a fourth of your traffic!) How long does it take? That depends entirely on how complex your needs are. If you have a job that needs immediate attention, let us know, give us a projected deadline, and we'll tell you in advance whether or not we can finish it by then. But we've never missed a deadline...and we won't start now. Registration of domain names through Internic takes up to a week. How do I get a site designed for me? Email us or fill out the form on the contact page. Tell us what you're looking for, and if you have a completion date in mind. The more specific you can be, the better. But if you only know you want a (fill in adjective of your choice) website, be sure and visit our Client Translation page! (coming soon)