Website Design
In order to work with zipped files, they must be unzipped or extracted first. Windows has a built in program called Windows Compressed Folders which can do this for you. If you have installed a zip program, such as WinZip* or 7-Zip*, Windows Compressed Folders may not be easily available on your computer. If you follow the instructions below for Windows Compressed Folders, but a different program opens, you can still follow the instructions listed, and it should generally still work.
- Unzipping a file with Windows Compressed Folders
- Find the zipped file that you want to unzip in Windows Explorer. In this example, I'm showing cvs-eep-entrytool-v2.2.7.zip, in the folder C:data. Windows XP is shown here, but Windows Vista works in the same way:
Note that the file extension is .zip for zipped file. - Next, double-click the zipped file. This opens up the zipped file so that you can see the files that are inside it. With the above analogy of a set of books on a bookshelf, you are now seeing the book spines on the shelf:
Notice the address bar now says that you are in a folder with a .zip extension and shows a zipped file icon as well. The file inside this zipped file is shown as a normal unzipped file. In this case, it's an .mdb file or Microsoft database. Do not double-click this file to open it when inside a zipped folder. That's like trying to read a book before taking it off the shelf.This step is the step that confuses a lot of people. This appears to be a normal folder on your computer, but in fact, you are within a single zipped file. - Single-click the file(s) and/or folder(s) you want to unzip. If you want to select all files and folders (even if there is only one) in the .zip file, press Ctrl-A on your keyboard:
Notice that the files are now selected. In the above screenshot, a blue background shows that a file is selected. The background for selected files could be a different color on your computer. - Now, copy the file(s) by pressing Ctrl-C on your keyboard.
- Then, click the "back" button to return to the previous folder:
- Now you are in the original folder, which is not a zipped file (in this case, C:data):
- Lastly, paste the file(s) into this folder by pressing Ctrl-V on your keyboard. This copies the files as unzipped files into the folder you are currently viewing:
This may take a few minutes or longer for large files. - When the file has completed copying, both the .zip file and the unzipped file(s) are in the same folder. You can use the .zip file as a backup copy or delete it. You can now work with the unzipped files. In the above analogy, you have pulled book(s) off the shelf and can read them. Enjoy!
This is a question we get quite often, and while it seems simple enough to answer, it is actually quite a complex subject. You can find all kinds of advice out there on what colors to use when and to evoke which emotion. Problem is that everyone perceives colors differently depending on their personal experience, the context the colors are used in, and other factors which range from the mood of the person viewing it to the weather outside. So in a nutshell there are no standard rules regarding colors and marketing.
We did find an excellent article that we re-blogged on our site which goes into exquisite detail about all the nuances and specifics when it comes to color schemes and how to market with them. Read the post here.
When you have a general idea of how you want to proceed there is an excellent tool that we suggest you use to make sure the colors you choose complement each other mathematically. Yes there is a way to use math to make sure your colors look good together and do not clash with each other. Paletton.com allows you to play with the colors algorithmically through an easy to use interface based on a simple color wheel. Click and drag the wheel to see your changes in real time. Once you have a color pallet you like for your website, you simply click share it and enter the email [email protected] - we will take it from there.
You do. Plain and simple. Your-Web-Guys doesn't force you to stay with us for any reason. Once you have paid for it, it is yours - period, paragraph.
You can see the specific verbiage by downloading a pdf version of our agreement here.
At Your-Web-Guys we are always striving to make the small business owner's life easier. Smart businesses know that if you can use someone else's money to build your business you should take advantage of that. When we looked at the initial setup/design costs for a website we noticed that many small business owners, while they could afford a $4 to $5 thousand dollar expense, they had much better things to spend it on than a website design. That's why we developed our industry leading $0 Setup/Design program. We build or redesign the website for nothing out of pocket and simply spread those costs out over a period of time with approved credit.
Everything is included
Just like our traditional agreement, everything is included in the monthly fee. That includes hosting and maintenance, support and training, updates and security patches, automatic backups and restorations, domain registration and renewal, security certificate and renewals, unlimited email addresses (within reason), and basically everything you need to have your website online and working properly.
Agreement Terms
The initial term of the agreement is 24 months and will automatically renew for another 24 months. At the end of each term you own your site and can take it to another provider if you choose, no questions asked. However, if the agreement renews for another 24 month term we will redesign your website at no additional cost to you. That's just our way of saying "thank you for letting us be Your-Web-Guys"
At a glance:
For a quick reference of the highlights in the agreement we put together this bullet list. You can see the specific verbiage by downloading a pdf version of our agreement here.
- Domain registration in your name
- Unlimited Pages/Products
- All basic scripting needed
- Any and all photography needed
- Digitization/creation of your company logo
- Search Engine optimization
- Customized graphics
- 24 month term (WAC)
- You own all work done by us at the end of the term
- Complete redesign at renewal
Click here to schedule instantly
In order to work with zipped files, they must be unzipped or extracted first. Windows has a built in program called Windows Compressed Folders which can do this for you. If you have installed a zip program, such as WinZip or 7-Zip, Windows Compressed Folders may not be easily available on your computer. If you follow the instructions below for Windows Compressed Folders, but a different program opens, you can still follow the instructions listed, and it should generally still work.
- To zip a file, find the file in Windows Explorer (file browser).
- Right-click on the file, left-click on Send To > , then left-click on Compressed (Zipped) Folder:
- Windows creates a temporary file (highlighted letters) and may show a "Compressing..." progress box:
- When Windows finishes compression, a new .zip file has been created in the same folder as your unzipped file, with the same name except with a .zip extension:
Note that in most cases, the file size will be much smaller. Some files can't be compressed much, such as .jpg pictures. Others files, such as text and database files, compress to a small fraction of the size of the uncompressed file.
A website consists of several elements. One of the most important one is the photographs that are used in conjunction with the other content on the site. If we did not include photography in our design packages then we would be neglecting a huge part of your web design. Because of that we provide photography in two forms.
- Custom photo shoots of you, your people, your location(s), and your products
- Stock Photography of things that go with your content
Responsive web design or (RWD) is specific techniques and code that allows a website to display differently depending upon what type of device it is being viewed on without using a totally different set of html instructions. In other words, a responsive website will generally look the same no matter what device is used to view it. For more information please click here
Without a doubt. A good company logo is a very important piece of the web presence puzzle. We can even digitize your existing logo at no additional charge. If you don't have a company logo we can work with you to make one. A good web presence isn't complete without branding and you cant brand your company without a good logo which can represent your company with one picture. Make sure you don't skimp on your logo. It is the single most important decision you will make when starting a small business.
We actually don't, depending on your definition of "template". We use 3 party design layouts because they are fast, inexpensive, and of far better quality than anything we could come up with from scratch. Far too often we see web design firms denigrating the use of templates. They imply that template based websites are somehow inferior to their totally custom designs. They are not wrong... a template based website such as what you get from intuit or website tonight is certainly not what you want... nor is it what Your-Web-Guys do. However if they think that what we do is the same as that then they are absolutely wrong. It is very rare to find a design firm which produces a completely custom product at a price anywhere near the rates we can offer because most of the work is already done. The labor you pay is almost non-existent because of the speed with which we can have a template customized compared to how long it takes someone to make everything from scratch.
Isn't it better to have a totally original site?
Sure, if the two were of the same caliber design. Unfortunately it is very cost prohibitive to get an original design of the same quality and professional level of a design layout from our database. Original designs of the same quality of the layouts we use cost literally two to three thousand dollars, if not more. Why would you want to pay that amount of money when you can get a design of the same quality at a fraction of the cost. The only drawback is that a couple other companies may have similar site designs. That doesn't mean your site will be the same as anyone else's though. Quite the contrary. While working with you, our customization process will make your site totally unique and indistinguishable from the few other companies' sites which are made from the same layout. And we never use the same layout for two of our clients.
Absolutely... but not from us. We specialize in low cost, high value web solutions for small businesses and we have never found a cost effective way to create and maintain a web presence from scratch. If you have the funds and prefer to have a unique website for your business then we are not the company you want. It is very rare that we run across a company that needs a from scratch website because our design layout database is so comprehensive. In addition, our customization process is so complete that after we are done with it, your website will be almost 100% unique. In other words, if you cannot find a layout in our database that suits your fancy then your fancy is just too fanciful.
Are there any web designers you recommend that will do it?
There are many design firms out there, however it is difficult for us to recommend any of them because we cannot justify the fees they charge. To us they are all over priced and under developed, but we are a bit biased 😉
What if the layout I want has flash buttons or a flash intro on it?
Update
Flash has completely gone the way of the Dodo bird. You certainly dont want us to do anything with it. If you still have flash on your website, you need to update it asap. Schedule a meeting with one of Your-Web-Guys using
Many sites utilize flash for their navigation buttons or for intros in order to impress prospective clients. Flash is very impressive if it is done well because it is visually pleasing while still loading quickly. Unfortunately, even though flash is very... flashy [ahem], search engines could never parse the content. It is basically a graphic and therefore just a bunch of pixels to a search engine so you do not want a website made completely of flash
Update
Flash has been depreciated and will no longer be supported by any browsers in the near future. This has happened because of the popularity of Apple's i-devices such as the iphone and ipad. Apple and the company who makes flash, Adobe, do not get along very well and because of that Apple simply never supported flash content on their i-devices... ever. Initially this was a draw back for Apple, but has ultimately lead to new technology and scripting languages such as HTML5 and CSS3 which will ultimately replace and surpass flash in the long run.
Update II
The long run has come and gone. Flash has completely gone the way of the Dodo bird. If you still have flash on your website, you need to update it asap. Schedule a meeting with one of Your-Web-Guys using
The only person who can speak with authority on your business and products or services is you. Because of that, the short answer is no we cannot create the actual verbiage and text content for your website. However we can give you some tips and tricks which will help you get started. If all else fails we do work with several copywriters and content experts who specialize in providing crisp, clean, search engine optimized and well thought out verbiage with only a little input from you to get them started. They can get a bit pricy, but when we have had clients opt for this in the past they have felt it very much worth the extra cost.Content Creation Tips:
- Start with major topics
Typically there are five pages which make up your average website. They are listed below, but if you have different needs they are not set in stone. Use these pages as major topics and start writing your content from that point.- Home page - consists of a welcome message or possibly a mission statement
- About us - information about the company and/or the people who work there
- Services/Products - self explanatory, but dont skimp on this one, the more text the better... we will break it down into more pages if it gets too long.
- Location - consists of an embedded dynamic google map that will give turn by turn directions to your location from their front door.
- Contact Us - usually a form for folks to fill out with specific information you would like to collect from them. Also includes phone numbers and other means of contact
- Write how you speak
When you are speaking to someone about your product or service you have scripts that you more or less go by each time. Write them down and you have a great starting point for your web content. - The more the better
When it comes to websites and specifically seo content is king. A picture may be worth a thousand words to a human, but to a search engine spider a picture is just a bunch of pixels. Only a thousand words are worth a thousand words in the search engine world. If it gets too wordy we will break it down and make more pages out of your content. - Use your competitors' content as a jumping off point
Although imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, we don't want to copy or plagiarize anyone (if we get a cease and desist order we will yank the content without question). However, piggy-backing off of others' ideas is not only a good way to get started, it is also a great way to improve upon what they have already started. - Always think F.A.B.
For each of your products and services use the F.A.B. method. It stands for Feature Advantage Benefit. The feature is whatever you want to highlight for that product or service. The advantage is how that feature is not only exclusive to your company, but also how it can directly give them an advantage over their competitors. The Benefit is how it will make them money. Using this time honored approach to selling your products and services will help flesh out your general ideas of what you want to have your website exhibit.
Google Analytics is a fantastic program that can help you make sense of what surfers are hitting your site, what they are looking at and where they came from and are going to. This is a quick video of what analytics can do for you and how it works. Every website that Your-Web-Guys builds has analytics built in from day one.
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