Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started with my site?
If you have an idea for a site but don't have an actual website, you have some first steps you need to make before SmallBox can be of assistance.
To get a domain you can easily register it through a company like 1and1.com. The domain name is your http://www.example.com address and the right choice of a domain name can have a big impact on your search engine results and business identity. Try to find one that is easy to communicate verbally and reflects your business accurately. Many .com suffixes have already been reserved, but there are other suffixes you may want to consider including .biz (perfect for businesses), .org (perfect for non-profits or organizations), .net (perfect for b2b or community sites), .mob, .tv, .name or .us.
The next step is hosting. A web host is essentially the computer that will hold your web files and serve them to the Internet. We always recommend 1and1.com which offers very competitive rates on basic and advanced Linux packages. Plus we really like their easy-to-use control panel that allows us to create your databases which drive content management.
For other clients we also recommend Cloud Hosting via Rackspace. Rackspace has several plans to choose from and recognized worldwide for their customer service. And if you call us at 317-254-0932 we can usually get a pretty good deal for you through our participation in their partner program.
When you contact SmallBox for a quote on price and timeline for development, we will need to have information on both your domain and hosting whether it is a request to design a site from scratch, to make simple updates, or to add features to a site already created.
If you don't have this information, a good way to start is to run a WHOIS lookup, track the information to the current provider, and if you do not have credentials to log in, initiate a 'forgot your password' process.
What is a CMS?
A CMS is Content Management System. It is what allows a site owner to update the web page with nothing but an Internet browser and a connection to the web.
For a site owner who wants to make their own changes without paying maintenance fees, a CMS makes sense.
For a site owner who has very little knowledge about the web, but needs a CMS, ours is quite simply the easiest system available.
Ours is custom, providing exactly what you need. Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, are PHP based content management systems, but may require advanced customization for some.
Some require a CMS that integrates for .NET platforms. Ours can, however the charges for this kind of work may be slightly higher than open-source PHP.
Who will be able to work on the website?
Anybody can work in our CMS without knowing how to build or code a website. Those with code experience will be able to do a great deal without altering the template.
For inexperienced web authors, they will find limitations if they are not proficient in code.
Adding on to the CMS is not difficult for someone with a through knowledge of programming in PHP / MySQL. Every programmer is different, but we have found that good programmers can easily grasp our CMS without trouble.
How much do you charge to build sites?
A website FAQ is a difficult place to address price because the cost is determined by a number of factors. We would like to be able to view the current site if it exists, consider design tasks that are required, create a feature list to estimate development costs, discover your marketing and search engine requirements to come up with a budget range for you.
Most websites we build are in the the $10,000 to $30,000 range.
Hourly work will be quoted with a 3-hour minimum at our standard hourly rate.
What software do you use to develop your sites?
We use good old-fashioned code, not third party products like FrontPage, DreamWeaver or ColdFusion. Using these products can help a beginner to intermediate person create and manage sites, and if you are considering learning web design, these can be good tools for you.
Advanced web authoring is assisted by working in the code and understanding how it all works. Once effective code has been created it is always easier to recycle code that works from one project to another. However, each project has specific requirements that demand attention to detail that a programmer can effectively manage.
How do I choose between an Open Source (Apache, PHP, MySQL) approach vs. a Microsoft approach (.net, IIS, .asp)?
Small Box is always going to promote an open-source approach because it fits right in line with our development philosophy. We believe the Internet should be flexible, secure, dependable and require a minimum amount of work to maintain and extend the site.
For that reason we recommend our clients start with open-source tools to build customized solutions that are easy and cheap to manage.
Are you hiring?
SmallBox occasionally has openings on our small, but growing staff. We offer competitive salaries, profit sharing and health benefits for qualified individuals ready to work in our Broad Ripple offices.
Occasionally we outsource design, development or content creation to individuals or independent businesses.
Applicants should contact us with their skill set, recent employment history and an online portfolio for our review. We're really interested in hearing about what you are interested in besides the web, and what new technologies you are following.
