Frequently Asked Questions
We have tried to answer the most commonly asked questions in the simplest way possible, so if you are already "Internet savvy," we apologize for not defining things more technically--our answers are aimed at those who may not be as experienced or knowledgeable in the ways of the Internet.
If you feel we have failed to adequately answer a question or if we use some terms you don't understand (or that were omitted from our Glossary), please feel free to contact us with your question. One of our goals here at Moxy Media is to take the mystery and confusion out of the Internet and to make your time on it more pleasant.
BASIC QUESTIONS
SEARCH ENGINE QUESTIONS
What is The World Wide Web?
Basically the Web is the pretty part of the Internet. However, though many people use the terms interchangeably, the Web is a way of viewing information transmitted to you over the Internet. Basically, the entire Internet is a bunch of computer networks hooked together with a bunch of telephone lines. The computers store information in a really boring way--as plain text--and it's very basic and not too attractive. Each document is given it's own "address," so you have to know exactly where to go to and what to type in to look for things--and we do mean "exactly." The Internet is very unforgiving when it comes to misspelled words or incorrectly written addresses. The Web was dreamed up as a way to link documents together, making it easier to reference your information to other places via hypertext links. The Web also allows you to display pictures. TOP
What are browsers?
They are the windows you open up to view the Internet. The two most popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer (which has the blue "e" icon) and Netscape Communicator (which has the "N" icon). TOP
What is a shopping cart?
A shopping cart, or virtual shopping cart, is a means by which visitors to your web site may purchase your products directly online. Shopping carts can display the product, item number, quantity desired, color, size, price, etc., as well as shipping and payment information. TOP
How much does it cost to have a site on the Internet?
This will vary depending on the size of the site, how much technical work is required, and if there are any special requirements. TOP
What is the process of getting a web site?
Contact us to make arrangements for a quote. Tell us what your needs are, and, based on that, we will submit a proposal to you. Pending approval of our quote, we will draw up a contract and get a 50% deposit. Then, you submit to us all text, pictures, links, and other content that will be applied to your web site and any marketing materials that are to be used as a guide for the web site's design. We then work on the design and layout. We generally upload work in progress to a private area of web site where you'll be able to see it take shape and have us make any adjustments and refinements that may be necessary. TOP
What are some reasons to be on the web?
On the Internet, your company can be as big as the largest company in your industry. It's the great "equalizer," where you can compete right alongside the big guys.
It's a great way to communicate to potential clients or customers--24/7!
To increase the visibility of your company and its products and services.
To increase and improve customer services.
To take advantage of the interactivity of the Internet.
To support your traditional advertising by adding to it ("For more info, check out our web site at ...").
To set your company apart from your competitors. Note: As more and more companies get on the web, this will cease to be a benefit so ACT NOW! Web sites can be made far more attractive than Yellow Page ads and can be changed at a moments notice. When was the last time you heard someone say: "Wow! That's a really cool Yellow Page ad!"
People who are searching the Internet for your product or service are already qualified as "interested"--traditional promotion can't guarantee that. TOP
Why do I need a web site?
The Internet is fast becoming the new "Yellow Pages." More and more people use it everyday, and its growth shows no signs of stopping, or even slowing. Shouldn't you be there?
There are currently 60 million Internet users around the world! Almost forty-million of these are right here in the United States. That's a pretty large number of people. If you're not on the web, they'll go to your competitor! TOP
What are the right reasons to get on the Web?
Revenue Generation
While there is a definitely a chance for increased sales and revenue due to your increased visibility, web development is a long-term business development move, so don't expect a windfall overnight. However, that said, we get testimonials regularly from customers who maintain that having a web site has improved their business volume.
Expense Reduction
You can now sell your product directly from your site and have the payment and shipping all handled from your site--so it's like having an extra location at a fraction of the cost. Plus, it's open 24 hours a day, and you don't have to worry about paying overtime! Also, you can save a lot of time and money by not having your sales staff tied up answering questions about your company or its products and services--you can provide most of that information on your site.
Enhanced Customer Relations
The most successful business web sites put the customer first. They do this by providing detailed and up-to-date information about products and services. In a way, you are creating "self-educated" buyers, and a self-educated buyer is a happier buyer.
TOP
How much information can I have online? Do Web sites have a size limit?
Web sites can be as small as a single page or as large as is needed. There are sites on the Internet that have thousands of pages. Some hosting companies have a limit, however, or they may charge extra over a certain amount. TOP
Can I start small and then expand my web site later?
Absolutely--and depending on the circumstances and on your particular needs, we will sometimes recommend this. A web site can be begin as an online brochure, for example, and gradually expand. TOP
How is a site kept up to date? Can we do the updates in house?
We can update it for you for a fee that is based on how often you want to update the site and on how complex the updates are. In some circumstances, we can set up specific pages so that they may be updated by the client with no special knowledge required. TOP
Why does my web site look different on AOL?
The browser that AOL uses is lacking in a number of areas, and, consequently, you don't get a true picture of the Web. We, and other professional web design companies, edit our images and graphics to make them as small a file size as possible so that they won't slow down the opening up of the web page. This is called "compression." Unfortunately, AOL's browser compresses them again! This causes the images to look "fuzzy" or to have "holes" in them, and they just generally look substandard. Also, AOL's browser doesn't allow as many degrees of color as the other browsers, so the web sites often don't look as attractive and vibrant as they should. If you are an AOL user, to get the true picture, here's what we recommend: When you dial-up with AOL, you can just minimize their browser once you're online (click the little hash mark in the upper right-hand corner) and then open another browser, like Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the vividness of the Internet! TOP
What types of graphic files do you accept?
We can accept any graphics file format that is Windows compatible. Apple users should covert files to a multi platform format prior to sending them to us to ensure the best possible conversion. Our preferred format would be the original file that was created (Photoshop Document, Portable Network Graphic, Tiff) as those are editable, but JPEG's and GIF's are acceptable as long as they are good quality--we can't make a silk purse out of sow's ear! We can also work with high-quality photographs, as we can scan them and create graphic files out of them. If you are local, we can meet with you and get everything we need. If you aren't local, it's no problem, as you can always e-mail graphics files to us or mail photographs. TOP
What is a secure server?
Though no method is completely foolproof, there is a method of purchasing across the Internet that is very safe. Order forms that are on a secure server encrypt all data before sending it across the Internet for processing. Encryption is a method of jumbling the data so that only your computer and the secure server can read it. This greatly reduces the probability of your credit card information and precious data being viewed by unwelcome eyes. An insecure transaction is basically an "open" transaction that can be seen by anyone who knows how--which could mean that your credit card information could be captured and used. Always make sure the web design company and host you use makes order form pages secure. You should see a little locked padlock in the bottom left-hand corner of your browser, as well on the toolbar of your browser. If the padlock is open, it means that the page is not secure and that there is a risk of a third party accessing your information. TOP
How do I know if I'm on a secure page?
While on a secure page, such as our order form, the lock icon on the bottom of Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer becomes locked, as opposed to unlocked, or open.
SEARCH ENGINE QUESTIONS
What are search engines?
Basically, search engines are web sites where you can type in words and phrases called "key words" to help you find what you're looking for on the Internet. It's important to be indexed on as many search engines as possible. We advise getting it professionally done, rather than attempting it yourself. Some search engines offer this as a free service, but more and more of them are now starting to charge fees. TOP
What are search engine robots?
There are two ways a search engine will look at a web site that has been submitted. Yahoo!, for example, uses human beings to view the site to determine whether or not it matches their criteria for listing. Google uses a "spider," which is an automated means of "crawling" all over the site, looking for the necessary elements it expects to find on a web page. The automated search engines are generally referred to as "robotic," since the sites are not viewed by human beings. TOP
How do search engine robots list a site?
Think about a visit from the eyes of a robot. He finds a site, usually from links on other web pages, then records the text from the page or saves the page. He extracts just the text from the page without the HTML coding, including the title. He uses a mathematical equation to catalog all the words on the site (this is called an algorithm). He follows the links on your site and retrieves any information he finds. All of this information is then stored. Now he knows how many pages you have, how significant your site is for a given keyword, and how many "outside" links your site has, and he can give your site a "score" based on how it is set up. This is how your site ends up being ranked high or low. He then travels the links that leave your web site and visits new web sites. TOP
Will my site be in any search engines? If so, which ones, and how long does it take?
We have a Search Engine Maintenance program available on a monthly basis. For complete information, visit our Search Engines page. We hand-submit your site to all of the major search engines. Each engine is its own independent company, so the time it takes will vary. It can be anywhere from one to eight weeks. LookSmart* and Yahoo! offer an Express Submit service for a one-time fee of $199. This fee guarantees that your web site will be viewed and considered for listing within 48 hours. TOP
What do search engines do with the information?
When someone searches for a phrase or keyword, another search program takes over, using the information the robot found. A person types in the keywords, and the search program returns the thousands of pages matching their keywords. They also consider the following: How large is the web site? Was it properly constructed? How many other web sites link to this web sites? TOP
* The LookSmart Network currently consists of LookSmart, Excite, AltaVista, CNN and MSN, so, when you're submitted to LookSmart, you are automatically listed in those other search engines)
NOTE: Repeatedly resubmitting to the search engines can get your URL banned from many of the search engines.
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