FAQs - Web Site Design

1. Can anyone design a web site?
2. Why is the design process so important?
3. What is needed to "sell" products on the web?
4. Is a deposit required for you to design a web site?
5. Why is a "Preferred Maintenance" account a good idea for a design client?

1. The short answer to this question is "yes, they can". Many applications such
as MS Office, Frontpage, and other "web design" tools can let novices create web sites without a huge amount of effort. So can services that are provided by some large web hosting companies.

The key thing to remember is that when you have a machine create the web site,
it typically looks just like a machine did it; what designers tend to call "cookie cutter" web sites.

Antares Development produces custom designed web sites that are not "cookie cutter". The site's look and applications are unique and are written to client specifications.

2. Having a structured design process is perhaps the most important thing to consider when designing a web site. Look at building a web site just like building
a home. You would not design a home without drawing the plans first or consulting an architech, yet many people and organizations charge right off into designing a web site without the faintest idea of what they want...or more importantly, what they really need to solve their problem. Technology for the sake of technology is almost always a bad and expensive idea. That is why Antares Development will
take the time to understand your organization's need before attempting to apply
a technology solution.

3. Getting started as an e-merchant is far less costly than it was a few years ago. All you need today is a shopping cart system and a way to accept payments securely. By making use of our ECT shopping cart and shared SSL certificate, you
can be up and selling very quickly and inexpensively. For merchants needing robust solutions, visit our page that talks about the various e-commerce solutions available.

4. The amount of any deposit will depend upon the estimated site construction costs. Usually one-third to one-fourth of the estimated construction cost is due
when design work starts. As progress points are reached during the development process, additional payments are due. Final payment of all construction cost is due and payable when the site is published to the Internet after final client approval.
See our process page for further clarification.

5. The preferred maintenance account was created specifically for our design clients. What this account does is allow us to spend a given amount of time each month performing web site maintenance. These tasks can range from search engine promotion to wording changes on the client's web site. The reason this type of account is recommended is that there is no additional support charge for each task being performed as these types of tasks are covered under preferred maintenance. A regular account would be billed support charges (minimum 1 hour) for any work performed.