web design and development

There are now more than 181,277,835 web sites on the Internet. Netcraft.com

Consumers are increasing turning to search engines rather than phone books and shopping malls. Searching online is the fastest and most efficient way to decide if and where to buy a product or service. Shopping online may well be the fastest and least expensive way to purchase another pair of your favorite tennis shoes. And searching online is the ONLY way to find Yahoos' Tech Support phone number (1.866.800.8092) in order to communicate synchronously (talk) to a human being about a technical question.

why promote local businesses online?

On a more local level, if you can't remember the name of a restaurant a mile from your home during a Chinese food craving, it takes 1/10th the time to search for | "chinese restaurant" claremont california | than to pour over the tiny print in a telephone directory. The web give directions, menus, and reviews with photos and recommendations as well. And sometimes printable discount coupons.

Searching for local goods and services online grows significantly each year. This reflects increasing numbers of Internet users and the growth of online commerce. Nearly 70% of North Americans use the Internet today, 232,057,067 people reflecting 21% of the world's usage. Some statistics about the number of Internet Users worldwide (from Internet Growth Statistics) are below.

• June 2008 - 1,463 millions
• December 2007 - 1,319 millions
• December 2006 - 1,090 millions
• December 2005 - 1,018 millions
• December 2000 - 261 million
• December 1995 - 16 million [16,000,000]

the web advantage

Clearly the key is to reach YOUR target audience when they visit the web looking for you. For most small and medium size organizations, this doesn't mean being one of the top 500 websites. It means placing well on an Internet search engine (and other marketing to draw web surfers to your site) and then offering site visitors the kind of information that will motivate them to contact you. A well-planned and developed website can offer small and medium-sized businesses and non-profit organizations an excellent return on their investment.

Websites provide potential and current customers/clients with:

• descriptions and images of products and services, company history, certifications, policies, location, contact information, etc.
• clear answers to FAQs (frequently asked questions) - saving hours of staff time repeating answers to basic new client questions
• full-color photos and illustrations, movies, downloadable documents, surveys, etc. for relatively little cost
• examples of completed projects and testimonials

What's the advantage of a website over other forms of advertising?

• they never get lost or thrown away by potential customers
• they are relatively inexpensive
• they can be designed to be easy to keep up-to-date by the website owner
• they are available to customers 24 hours a day/7 days a week /365 days a year
• they allow for personal interaction - discussion boards, live chats, blogs, etc.

what's involved in developing a website?

Designing web sites takes more than knowing HTML or XHTML or CSS or RSS, although that knowledge certainly helps! A site's purpose and audience influence the "look" of the site, the information on it, the way it is "coded" for search engines, how often the site should be updated, and a lot more.

DoctorGeek helps small businesses, non-profit and educational organizations, and individuals to develop an effective "web presence." We strive to understand our client short term and long term needs. We offer thoughtful, personalized, cost-efficient solutions to meet those needs.

• Please read about the different web design and development services offered by DoctorGeek here.
• If you're interested in e-commerce, read more here.
• If you'd like to find out more about how to get a web domain (yourbusiness.com), find out more here.
• Review a list of our clients here.
• To read what our customers have to say about us, look at our testimonials here.

what does a website cost?

Like everything.... It all depends. Every web development project is unique, so DoctorGeek does not have set "packages". Instead, after meeting with a client, we propose a package that can include website design, hosting, maintenance, marketing advice, etc. - customized to best meet each client's needs, budget, and dreams.

Contact DoctorGeek to set up a free consultation!