March 25, 2013

Frequently asked questions for web projects

Some common questions that come up throughout website projects include:

Project Files

What is image optimisation?

‘Heavy’ images are slow to load, require more bandwidth and storage space, and infuriate impatient internet users. Optimising images involves reducing the size of your graphics so that they are as few kb as possible while still retaining good quality. Images are saved for web at low resolution (72dpi) in either JPG, GIF or PNG format. JPG files are best for photographs, while flat, solid graphics such as logos may be best optimised as GIF or PNG files.

Any images supplied by you as content for your site will be optimised accordingly.

Other considerations for images

Images are an integral part of your look and feel, the better your images look, the more professional, credible and engaging your website will be. If you have the budget, consider having some professional photography taken, as it is well worth the cost. If you have a more limited budget, you can still keep some things in mind when supplying images for you site.

Make sure you see what you want to see. Remove any unrelated focal points from your shots i.e. objects / clutter / things that distract the viewer’s attention away from what you are showing them.

Leave yourself (or your designer!) room to crop. A little clear space around your subject never hurt anyone.

If possible use digital image editing software to adjust your images so they have good colour and contrast, and look their best.

If your project is an online store and you need product images, remember that this is one of the most important aspects of your website. This is where professional photography would be a great advantage. Your customer will purchase products based on what they like the look of, and they need a clear indication of what they are buying. This does not necessarily mean you must have one image for every product you sell, in every colour. A great shot of a collection of products or variations, and maybe a close-up of some detail is more valuable than hundreds of images that are badly composed and uninviting. How you present your products is as important as the way you structure your site content itself in terms of engaging the viewer, and enticing them to return to your site.

At the completion of my project do I get to keep all files associated with my job?

Open source CMS and standalone hosted sites

If required Sauce can supply you with a HTML/PHP/CF version of your site on disk upon request. If your site is live you can download a copy at any time via an FTP program. Naturally you own all of your original content for the site, including any text, logos, photos supplied to Sauce, and the domain name. As part of our company policy we do not give out working files [including PSD files] unless negotiated as an additional engagement contract.

Licensed CMS combined with hosting sites

If your site is running on the Powersites CMS, you can still request a HTML copy of the site, however the CMS system is a licenced product attached to the hosting package and is not available for release. As per our terms and conditions, you own the content, images, text and user inputted data in your Powersite. Nothing in this agreement assigns to you any copyright ownership or intellectual property rights in the provided web site system, ColdFusion code, templates, database structures, administration interface or system documentation.

General questions

What are Web Standards?

Every website created by Sauce Design is built according to the principles of W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) Standards and Guidelines, which means the highest level of accessibility, compatability, consistency and browser compliance.

What is a URL?

URL stands for Universal Resource Locator. In a nutshell, it is a web page address (e.g. the address of this page is https://saucedesign.com.au/………….).

What is a Domain?

A Domain or domain name is the portion of the page address that appears after the http:// and ends with a .com, .com.au, .org, etc. (For example, the Sauce Design domain is saucedesign.com.au).

What is HTML?

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is the simplest code in the web today, and it is used on every website. HTML defines paragraphs, bold text, italic text etc.

What is CSS?

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is used to describe the presentation of content written in a markup language e.g. HTML. CSS defines how pages will look, fonts, colours, size and layout. Primarily its purpose is to separate content (written in HTML or similar code) and presentation of the content. This aids accessibility, and provides more flexibility and control over the characteristics of your look and feel.

What is Hosting?

Hosting is the home on the internet where the site files live. There are many different hosting companies, all offering different functionality, web space, and more. Sauce Design can suggest hosting that we highly recommend which is fast, stable and reliable.

What is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving the ranking of a website in the results of a search engine (such as Google or Yahoo). The purpose of SEO is to increase visitors to your website, you can find more detailed information on SEO here.

How long does it take for a website to be created?

The timeframe is dependant on the complexity and size of the site, our current client schedule, and your schedule and timeliness for the review and approval process. We can create and send ‘live’ a simple site quickly – in as little as a week if our schedule permits. Websites with a lot of content or more complex functionality will of course require more build and testing time.