FAQs
We have compiled a list of the most Frequently Asked Questions that we receive. If you have questions that are not listed, please send us an e-mail at info@contenta.com
How long does it take to develop a website?
It depends on the type of website that you are looking for, on the volume of content that you want to display, and on how much you (and your team) are willing to participate in the development process. The timeframe for website design & development projects is often defined by you, the Client. If you have a deadline in mind, our team will strive to meet your deadline. From our experience, the most common delay in the development of a website is waiting for content such as text, images & videos, to be created or repurposed for the web.
At Contenta, we develop many types of websites, for example:
- Personal / Professional Websites (normally 10 pages or less – fairly easy to manage, approximately 2 weeks to create)
- Corporate Websites (10+ pages, dedicated or shared server – approximately 6 to 8 weeks development timeframe)
- Blogs (eg. WordPress, eBlogger, … – fairly quick to create, time consuming to create content)
- eCommerce Websites (eg. amazon.com, transactional sites – varying set-up times based on needed features)
- Mobile Websites (content formatted to fit small screens -set-up time depends on level of automation required)
- Aggregate Websites / Portals(article search, content tagging, archiving, – varying set-up times depending on content)
- Informative / References Websites (dynamic or static content, eg: brochures, links to resources, approx. 2-3 weeks)
- Community Websites (interaction between users – varying set-up times depending on complexity of features)
- Gallery Websites (Photo sharing, esthetics matter – varying development times)
- CMS-driven websites (Web Content Management systems mainly for larger Enterprises – varying development times)
- RSS, Wikis, File upload (ftp sites), Chat & Forums (features to gain more exposure with an expanded audience)
What is the process to develop a website?
There are a few tasks involved. These can be summarized as Discussion & Discovery, Design & Development, Debugging & Deployment. The client is involved at all stages and is instrumental in providing approvals and feedback for on-going site maintenance and tweeking. Most of the projects that we develop follow workflows similar to the one in this diagram.
You need to be committed to the development of your project and to its on-going requirements.
What is required to begin a Web Project?
Little is needed to start a web project. You need to have a general idea of what you are looking for. That is, you need to know what you are trying to achieve. For example, are you looking for a website that will generate a revenue stream, that will provide information on the services you offer, that will attract a crowd of followers, …? Once we grasp what you are looking for, we will research samples and prepare a proposed project blueprint to initiate discussion. A detailed project plan developed jointly with you, will identify the scope of the project, the deliverables and project timeline. At Contenta, we follow the Project Management Information System (PMIS standard) right from the get-go through to project closing. We ensure that the requirements and concerns of all project stakeholders, for example; the project owner, the client, contractors, in-house IT & design staff, managers, etc, are heard and addressed. Our systematic approach has proven to achieve the best long-term results.
Here are Tips to Plan your Web Project. Go through the tips and be prepared to discuss some of the points in our initial project discussion.
Do we need to meet in person to develop a web project?
Thanks to technologies such as Skype, MSNLive, GoToMeeting, email and phone, we do not need to meet in person to develop a web project. We can discuss projects and issues using chat applications and provide all samples and iterations via a secured development server. Of course, we remain available for person-to-person meetings because face-to-face communication trumps. :)
Are you still offering weekly web workshops at your centertown office in Ottawa?
We are no longer having weekly training workshops in-house. Our new training hub, “AcaMedia” is scheduled to open in the Early 2014. We will be delivering content similar to our workshops. Stay tuned for upcoming Programs and Courses.
Once the site has been deployed, I would like to update it myself. Will I be able to do that?
You certainly can. Our goal is to make it Easy for you to do just that! We will handle all of the server configurations and set-ups that are only done once. We will implement the required site security features, automated back-ups and the framework for SEO. We will create sample posts and pages for you. If you choose to maintain your own site, we will select a solution with a Content Management Systems such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla or others for ease of use. We will provide training and documentation to facilitate your content creation and on-going site maintenance and will assist you with your first posts and page creations. Of course, we remain available should you wish to rely on our expertise to add more complex stuff or to create compelling designs. Clients often rely on the assistance that we provide via Skype and email for troubleshooting issues and for advice on best courses of action.
Where will my website be hosted and do I have access to the account?
Your website will be hosted by the ISP of your choice (we offer recommendations), the account is yours and you will have full access to your account. That is what allows you to change your website content, to request a different hosting plan, to add features, to transfer the site to another server, to close the account, etc. If we developed the site, we know what technologies are used (eg. databases, programming languages, …) and can assist you with decisions regarding hosting requirements and site transfer methodologies.
Email us your question at: info@contenta.com