What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is your address on the web. It's the information that customers type in to find your website. It's what comes after the www. in www.domain.com. www.silkwebsolutions.com “silkwebsolutions” is the domain name. A domain name can be any combination of letters and/or numbers up to 63 characters. The official domain name extensions are .ca .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .us and .ws. There are also other extensions like .tv and .tk but don't waste your time with those. Stick with a recognized one.

How do I find the domain name I want?

Visit www.whois.net and enter the domain name you are looking for.  The database will tell you if your domain name is available for registration.

How do I register a domain name?

Once you determine if your domain name is available, you can either register it yourself or contact us and we will assist you with all of the particulars.  If you are unsure of the process, it is better to have someone look after the details so you ensure there are no issues once you are ready to use the domain for your website.

What is a web host?

In addition to a domain name, you need a web host. A web host provides the support for building your web site. Every web site needs to be hosted somewhere. The hoster gives you a certain amount of space for all of your web pages, provides email addresses and other features you may need to build your site.

What type of website do I need?

There are various sizes and types of sites, you can have a simple static landing page just so people can get your email address or phone number, you can have a small or medium sized static site or you can have a large content management system (CMS). A static site is a website where all of the pages are created and then linked together through menus or links within the content. A CMS stores content in a database allowing you to display it in dynamic ways.

What is social networking?

Social networking, also referred to as social media, encompasses many Internet-based tools that make it easier for people to listen, interact, engage and collaborate with each other. Social networking platforms such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, message boards are available. Ask us how to integrate social networking into your website.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization and is a technique which helps search engines find and rank your site higher than the millions of other sites in response to a search query. SEO helps you get traffic from search engines. Learm more about SEO here.

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How long will it take to complete my website project?

Once SiLK has received all of the necessary elements, a typical web site will take about 30 days. Larger sites may take longer, and smaller sites may take less time.

• A project plan will be created and are a contract will be written and agreed upon together. SiLK will work with you to establish realistic dates to complete the project with you in a timely manner.
• Is your content ready?
  For web site design and development projects it is important to have your final content ready to go. SiLK will consult with you about all of the requirements, including written content, images, logos, and related information.

How soon can we start?

SiLK officially schedules projects upon receipt of the signed contract and deposit. Your content will also need to be ready to go by the dates agreed upon within our contract.

It's common to have initial discussions about the project, work out the contract details, and schedule the project to begin a few weeks later to allow you to gather your content, images, and other materials needed. If you have all your content and materials ready now, we'll work out our schedule to get started sooner.

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Can SiLK create sites that will look good in any browser?

We have over 8 years of experience developing sites for a wide range of browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Opera, Netscape, Mozilla, and Safari. Our sites will also work across platforms, such as Windows PCs or Apple Macintosh computers.

We'll base the design and development on your target market while making sure your site works well and is fully accessible by even older browsers or text-only browsers or alternative devices.

Can SiLK create standards-compliant sites?

Yes, we do. Yes. SiLK is an expert in creating standards-compliant web sites, following W3C Recommendations for web site markup. All the web sites we create validate to W3C Recommendations upon completion.

Does SiLK use cascading style sheets (css)?

Yes. Stylesheets provide a site's visual presentation. Their use is important for the site's development and easy visual maintenance. SiLK is an expert in using CSS effectively and developing stunning web sites that are easy to maintain. Visit our Portfolio for examples.

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Can SiLK update content when needed after the site design is completed?

Yes, absolutely. We appreciate ongoing relationships with our clients. For ongoing site updating we typically just bill by the hour and send invoices once or twice a month.

Can SiLK create our site so we can self maintain?

Of course. SiLK can create or redesign your site so you can easily update content yourself, even if you don't know any HTML. If you have any questions along the way, or if you need our services, we're more than happy to assist.

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How much will it cost?

• Services from SiLK Web Solutions are competitively priced. Since every project is different, we'll need details about what you have in mind, after which we'll provide you with an estimate.
• We base our estimates and proposals on how much time it will take to complete your project based on the information in the discovery phase of your project, other factors considered are materials needed (such as photos) or custom compontents to be included. In addition, if you advise of a budget, we'll provide an estimate that stays within or below it.
• There are no hidden fees or surprises as we spell everything out in our contract after we have discussed your requirements.
• If you have a preference, we're happy to charge by the project or by time and materials for most projects.

We are also able to provide estimates for small projects such as event advertising or flash banners, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Can SiLK work within your budget?

Most companies and individuals have a budget or a target cost, and we take a realistic approach. We're experienced with tailoring our work to provide the best results within your budget needs. Let us know your budget and we'll tailor our estimate to stay within that.

What is the payment schedule?

Payments are typically due in two to four parts:

• A deposit and signed contract are required before beginning our work together. The deposit is usually one-third of the total amount established in the contract (always dependant on the size of the project).
• For larger projects or longer time frames, incremental or milestone payments could be due along the way, which would be defined in the contract.
• Upon approval and launch of the web site by SiLK, the final balance will be due and payable.
• Additional work not included in our contract (but approved as out-of-scope*) will be added to the balance.

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