What is a domain name?
A domain name is the website name, such as mywebshoes.com or yourname.com. This allows people to type in your web address (URL) to arrive at your website. Domain names need to be purchased and registered so others cannot use the same name.
 

What is a hosting company for?
A hosting company stores your website content on their servers (computers) so the information is able to be accessed by the public.  We do use and recommend ValueWeb for most hosting requirements. There are other hosting company's that we work with when only limited technical functionality is required for the website.

A hosting company also enables you to have an email address using your domain name rather than using your  AOL or other personal email account. This is a great feature for your business and also attracts new visitors to your site. 
 

Do I still need my current ISP (Internet Service Provider) such as AOL or Earthlink?
Yes. You will need your current ISP (Internet Service Provider) in order to connect online. A hosting company offers additional email accounts, not a way to connect online.
 

Do I have to use my domain’s email address?  Can I use the existing email I have now on my website?
No, you do not have to use your domain’s email address if you would prefer not to. Your existing email address could be listed on your website. This is a personal choice.
 

If I use the domain's email address, can I have more than one email address?
Yes, most hosting companies offer anywhere from 5 to 20 different email addresses.
 

I don’t know anything about websites or what I should have on it, can you help me? I know I should have a website for my business in today’s market.
Yes, we certainly can. We will walk you through the process of helping you determine what should be published on your website to meet your business goals, and to develop a design that is customized and works for you. We do not use cookie-cutter design templates. We help with marketing and promotional tools and techniques as well.
 

I would like a personal website to list my interests and hobbies. I would want you to update it on a continuous basis.  Can you do that?  How would I get the info to you?
Yes we can and do! There are several ways to get the information to us, by email, fax, phone, in person (if local to Southeastern Michigan) or the old fashioned way via USPS.
 

I am across the country from you. Can you still do a website for me?
Many of our clients have never met us face to face, or even talked to us on the phone. These websites were developed by using emails or faxes to send us the information. It really depends on the individual site requirements and how you like to communicate with us.
 

I have photos that I want to use on my website, but don’t know how to turn them into computer files or have a scanner.
You can mail us the pictures by regular mail, we will scan them for you and return them by regular mail.
 

I have photos I want to use on my website, but the photo isn’t quite right.  There is either a person in there that I don’t want, or the background  doesn’t look right.
We have vast experience in touching up photos. Please see our portfolio page for examples.
 

Can I have you create a website for me so that I can update it as needed?
If you are comfortable working with HTML yourself, we can create the design and layout for your website. 
 

How much will a website cost?
It all depends on the content, the number of pages, graphic images, design, music, etc. that you require for your website. Our prices are very reasonable. Please contact us and we can work with your budget and website requirements.
 

How often should I change the content on my website?
We suggest that you keep your content fresh and your customers interested. Publish new information, new products or services, a monthly or quarterly opt-in newsletter, etc.  We recommend that you update and notify your email list quarterly at minimum, monthly is ideal.
 

If MWS creates a graphic, banner, logo, website, etc. for me, would I own the design?
All content and graphic elements that are on your website, you will own when payment is received in full. We do retain the right to use the graphics, screen-shots of the site or other elements in our portfolio.
 

What is a URL?
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. This means, in a nutshell, your web address, for example www.mywebsite.com is a URL.
 

What is a link?
A link is either text or a graphic that is placed on your website, so when a user clicks on it, it would take the user to another part of your website, to another website, to a new email message or perhaps to a larger view of your product.
 

What is a search engine?
A search engine is a great tool for people to to search out websites with information they are looking for by using a phrase like women's leather boots or a word like leather. The search engine would show a listing of similar websites with that information. Our favorite search engine is Google.
 

How can my website get listed in the search engines?
We will work with you to optimize keywords and phrases (meta tags) for search engine listing. This code is invisible to your visitors, but the search engines read this behind-the-scenes code to list your site in the proper category.
 

Is there a guarantee that I will be listed in the search engines?
Unfortunately no, nobody can guarantee a search engine will list your website in the top ten listings, the first page or even that it will list your site at all. It is generally not difficult to get listed in a search engine somewhere, much of it is based on the keywords in relation to the text content of your site. We submit your website to all the top search engines and have successfully had each of our sites listed.

Note: that in some cases, it can take months before a search engine will list your website. This is strictly determined by how the engine accepts listings, spiders websites and the time it takes them to list a website. Also some of the search engines are now charging a fee (such as Yahoo) to be listed. We will work with you if you wish to use these paid listing services.