This section answers these questions by outlining the design process, which can be divided into FOUR STAGES:

STAGE ONE: DEFINE THE OBJECTIVES

What will be the function of the web site? What will be its goal? An effective web site can have more than one goal: in fact, two to three is realistic. A site that tries to do everything, however, will be confusing and overwhelming to the viewer. These are the most common functions of a web site:

• Sell		• Inform
• Entertain		• Promote
• Distribute		• Research and Report
• Build Community

Together, we will determine the objectives of the web site. Your input is, of course, crucial at this stage. Do you want your site to sell a product or service? Enhance your corporate image? Provide customer support via e-mail or more advanced interactive techniques? Will the content be entertaining, strictly informative, or a blend of the two? By setting our objectives for the site at the very beginning, we can focus our energies and ultimately measure our success.

STAGE TWO: DETERMINE THE CONTENT

Once again, this stage is largely your responsibility, though I can provide advice, answers regarding what is possible, and editing. Questions you will have to answer will be: What information, and how much of it, do you want to put on the site? Do you want the site to have an element of interactivity, for example a search form, or the ability to purchase products? While these elements definitely enhance a site's popularity, they also directly affect the cost of the design job. In addition, the content should be consistent with the web site's objectives. This will ensure an effective web site.

STAGE THREE: DESIGN THE INTERFACE

After you have furnished me with the content (or with guidelines for creation of the content), you can sit back and let me do my thing. In fact, this stage and the next are where I really earn my fee and prove my talents. I will, however, require and respect your input and ideas. You will answer questions such as: Should the site fit in with an existing corporate image? If not, is there a theme or design style that you feel would best represent your site's purpose (for example ultra-clean and professional, hi-tech, young and hip, etc? Or, to put it another way, if the site were a person, what kind of personality would it have? Sophisticated, conservative, funky? These are questions for you to consider. If design is not your strong point, or you have no answers to these questions, don't worry, I'll discuss with you what you're trying to accomplish (the objectives described in step one), and then I'll come up with an attractive and effective design (that's my job, after all).

STAGE FOUR: DEVELOP THE WEB SITE

In this final stage, you will simply monitor my progress as I do all the work. This is both the easiest stage and the most time-consuming. Once the objectives have been defined, the content determined, and the interface designed, it's just a matter of applying my expertise and putting it all together solidly and consistently. This can take some time, but I guarantee you'll be pleased with the end result.

MOST COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS:

Question: How much will it cost?
Answer: It is really impossible to say until we discuss the details of the job. A simple site could cost as little as $1,500, while a complex, multiple-page site might cost over $30,000. It depends on the amount of time required to produce the artwork, illustrations, and content. The more prepared you are, the lower your cost. Regardless, I will find a way to make it happen within your budget.

Question: How long will it take?
Answer: Efficiency, originality and attention to detail all take time. A simple, one-page site might take only three or four days, while a larger corporate site could run between four and twelve weeks. Anyone who promises you a six-page site in two days is not going to give your job the craft and attention it deserves.

Question: We're not in the same city or state as you. Can you still build our web site?
Answer: Definitely! The truth is, I have never met some of my clients. Exchanges take place through e-mail and telephone. Works in progress are displayed on the web, enabling you, the client, to monitor your job's progress at all times. Basically, it's all done over 'the wire'. So whether you're in New York, or Thailand, don't worry, I can still build you a great web site!