Q Why should my business have a website?

• A website is one of the best employees you’ll ever have. It will work for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It never sleeps. It never takes a day off.
• A website is the ultimate customer services representative. It can educate and inform potential customers, keep loyal customers up-to-date on offers and specials, and take orders, saving you time and money.
• Through the power of search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, you can attract potential customers seeking your particular product or service at the crucial time – when they’re actively seeking it.
• Use your website to track and measure the results of targeted campaigns.
• Streamline labour-intensive functions with electronic options, such as detailed service and support manuals online. Something like this could save telephone support calls, and customers who do phone for support are likely to be better informed. Or replace mail communication with email communication. Tailor email communication to the specific needs of individual customers.

 

Q How much will this cost?

The cost will depend on your requirements, and the size and scope of the website. Packages start from $20 for the eBook on DIY website design, up to $1,800 for a standard managed website. You may choose to start with a small project and expand as your confidence and experience builds. Your WebSuburb consultant can work this out with you to make sure what package is best for your business and the goals you are committed to.

 

Q Our business already has a website. Can we move or copy our current website to this new platform?
Yes. The content of an existing website can be copied to the WebSuburb platform as a Word document, or other text-based content can be copied and pasted. Other businesses have found that this is an easy and cost-effective way to get started.

 

Q We already have a logo and corporate identity. Can we use this?
Yes. Using existing corporate identity material is the quickest and easiest way to get started and ensures that the website is consistent with other marketing collateral. The design can be easily changed later if required, or WebSuburb can provide graphic designers who can help create a unique design for your business.

 

Q Will we need any special software to manage the website?
No. All the software you need to manage the website is available online and can be accessed with a browser, eg Internet Explorer. Preparing images for use on the website (eg red-eye removal, cropping to size) may require photo-editing software, but most digital cameras include software to edit photos. There is also free software available on the internet that can be used.

 

Q How long will the website take to set up?
A total of 3 hours of your time is required to get a website up and running within 1 week.

 

Q What about ongoing support and assistance?

WebSuburb has designers, copywriters and technical experts to assist clients with content creation, customising your website, search-engine optimisation or integrating the system with your other business systems. WebSuburb provides up to 3 hours of support per annum at no charge to not-for-profit organisations.

 

Q What skills are required to manage the website?
The person updating the website only needs basic computer skills. If you can operate Microsoft Word, you can manage your own website. WebSuburb has extensive support pages with easy-to-follow steps, tips and examples - look for these on Online Help.