Web Services

Site design and building

We take a collaborative approach to designing and building websites. That means we ask lots of questions. We want to get to know you, your business, and your objectives. We want your input and ideas. The more we know about your business, the better we can serve your interests.

Our goal is to design and build a website that creates a distinctive and effective Internet presence that will enhance your business efforts. We offer a comprehensive proposal and fee estimate for your approval prior to beginning the project.

Hosting & technical support

We host web sites and provide the technical support to keep them functioning the way they are supposed to, including your email service. We also provide domain name registration; and, if you want, can transfer existing registrations to different services as may be appropriate. Hosting plans and fees vary depending on your particular needs.

Site management & updates

Good websites are not static, but are routinely updated and constantly improved. Our philosophy is simply this: if you spend good money to build a website, you should also properly maintain it.

An unattended, static website creates negative impressions. As your business changes and evolves, so should your website.

Site management and updates (within prescribed limits) are included in our fees for hosting and technical support, or can be arranged separately on a fee- for-service basis, depending on your needs.

We are known for delivering a high level of timely and personalized service. Depending on the number and scope, we typically make updates and changes within 24 hours — and many times we can make simple and smaller changes immediately.

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Website makeovers

From time to time, you should consider a website makeover to keep your Internet presence vital, useful, relevant, and up to date. If you’re still using your original website and it’s over three years old and has never been updated, it is almost certainly a makeover candidate.

Our approach to website makeovers begins with revisiting your business goals and reasons for having a website. We ask many of the same questions that we’d ask if we were we building your site from scratch.

Our makeover goal is to create a refreshing update that more appropriately reflects (in both content and presentation) the realities and tone of where your business is today compared to where it was when your site was first built.

Website evaluations

Sometimes it’s useful to get an independent professional assessment and opinion about your website — its usability, design, organization, content, navigation, functionality, etc.

We offer such a service, which aims at providing an objective appraisal of your website so you can make decisions about pending changes, upgrades, and improvements.

Based on analysis and study of thousands of small business websites, we have developed a comprehensive analytical tool that examines everything: strategic issues and planning, business objectives, marketing goals, site organization, content presentation and usability, home page and interior page design, utilization of screen landscape, navigation and functionality, technical issues, site promotion, updates, and lots more.

We can evaluate your website from any perspective and be as thorough and comprehensive as you want. The process begins with a consultative interview and questionnaire before the actual comprehensive evaluation begins. Alternatively, we can provide a less detailed assessment or focus our efforts on a limited number of items or issues. Findings and recommendations are presented in a written report with a follow-up telephone consultation.

We particularly recommend a website evaluation if you are considering a website makeover. If your aim is to improve your Internet presence, it is helpful to uncover problem areas so you can avoid repeating them.

Website evaluations and consultation are provided on an hourly-fee basis, with the scope of services and fees agreed to before the project begins.

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Strategic planning

Good websites are the result of a careful planning process that considers a number of strategic issues, such as:

why do you want a website?
what is the website’s purpose?
who is your target market?
how will a website enhance your business goals?
how will a website enhance your marketing communications?
how will you know if your website is generating results?

There is little point to building a website simply because you think you ought to have one. Every website should be an outgrowth of your business objectives in general and your marketing plan more specifically.

If you are in the planning stages of building a website or preparing for a site makeover, we’d like to be a part of your planning process. We can ask the important questions, provide insight and objective feedback, and help you develop a plan and a purpose that creates a solid foundation upon which to build a website.

Content development

Content is the text and graphic information that gives substance, meaning, purpose, and relevance to your website. It’s the stuff that goes on a web page.

Somebody has to provide and/or develop the content. Typically the client provides some of the content, which is then modified, edited, or reworked for web presentation. What content the client is unable to provide must be developed.

We develop all sorts of content — text, graphic, pictorial, tables and forms, etc. — to support our clients’ content needs. We are experienced writers and editors and know how to “get a story” or find the information we need to prepare relevant, useful, and effective text content.

Graphically, we have an extensive library of stock photography and graphics to enhance your website presentation. We can also use client-generated photography and graphics, provided they are of suitable quality and format.

Content development issues are spelled out in the scope of services portion of our website proposal.

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Email Marketing

Email marketing can be an attractive and cost-effective promotional tool for augmenting more traditional direct mail marketing. But email marketing (also called blast email, bulk email, mass email) must be handled judiciously and properly. Considering the ever-increasing nuisance of spam email, you do not want to appear to be a spammer.

Betagraph routinely designs, writes, prepares, and bulk transmits promotional email for its clients. Because Microsoft Outlook is not a good solution for sending "bulk" email, we use special software that more efficiently manages the process.

The keys to making email marketing work for you are: 1) collect customer email addresses; 2) have permission to send promotional email to them; 3) avoid abusing that permission and creating ill will; and 4) provide opt-out mechanisms for those who no longer want to receive your promotional email. Of course, you need to send an effective email with an attention-getting subject line that is supported by a message that generates response.

We also recommend using email marketing as a tool to bring people to your website. Once visitors arrive at your website, and assuming they find it engaging and helpful, you have an opportunity to “tell your story” and showcase your products and services.

eNewsletters

There was a time when a newsletter was a mainstay in a company’s array of marketing communications materials. However, as the costs of creating, producing, printing, mailing, and sustaining a worthwhile newsletter effort increased, many organizations stopped using them.

The eNewsletter format changes that, and once again makes newsletters affordable and worthwhile. Sure, you still need to write meaningful and useful information, and it must be attractively presented, but you can avoid the expense of printing and postage. What’s more, you can use bulk email and your website as the vehicle for delivering it.

We have extensive publishing know-how and experience in creating enewsletters (and paper-based newsletters too) that can enhance customer contact. If you’d like to resurrect the idea of a company newsletter, either electronic or paper (or both), we’d like to hear from you.

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