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Web Development Overview

 

Website Development Overview

Website Development is our primary service and specialty. It can be very complicated and there is a great learning curve as you begin to discover the web from the Webmaster's side. We're here to help you every step of the way and take the burden off wherever we can, while empowering you with as much control over your website as you would like to have.

Our web development centers on the structuring of a website that fits your company and branding, fits your marketing goals, and fits your budget while addressing your target audience in terms they can quickly understand and digest to make an honest appraisal of you and connect to further your communication.

 

Essentially, to have a website you need:

  1. A Domain Name. This is the address of your website that appears in the address bar of the browser. Ours is TheDesignsmith.com as you can see in the address bar above. In effect, you rent the name from a Domain Registrar like Network Solutions or GoDaddy. There are many registrars and there is no considerable difference between them as far as acquiring a name, but their costs vary widely. GoDaddy charges roughly $15 for a .com name per year while Network Solutions charges around $45 for the same thing. We suggest you order your name from GoDaddy.
  2. A Hosting System. This is essentially the computer where the files of your website are stored. This computer must be able to read and execute your programmed files, and it should be solidly connected to a main artery of the internet. The system farm should have backups and redundencies as well as other creative protection to make sure that your website is always available to web surfers. Naturally, we offer a wonderful hosting system equipped to handle all your website needs.
  3. Hyper-Text Markup files. These files describe the look and content of your website to the browser which downloads and displays it to the surfers. HTM files can be built without programming, mixed with programming, or created by programming; but in the end it is the html that your visitors see drawn into their browser. Creating these files is what we do best by integrating beautiful graphics, cascading sytles and smart programming!

In order for us to build your website we need to know what it is going to say and do. We've found the easiest way for you to tell us is by creating a flowchart or outline that names each page and describes the content. We're good at presuming the details, so a general description is good enough for us to give you a reasonable estimate. We also realize that this task is a show-stopper for many, so we offer services to work with you to put it together - contact us or look here to find out more.

 

Primary Elements of a Website:

  1. The Template. We build websites for ease of updating and expansion by using templates that are broken up and inserted into each page of the site to assure consistency across the project. The template gives you the 'look and feel' of your website, the navigation, the head and foot, and much more that is a necessary part of each page.  We often design these templates ourselves but to save money for some clients we can also pick from the many pre-designed templates available around the web and integrate our programming and content into one of them.
  2. The Public Area. When someone types your website name into their browser address bar they see your homepage of your public area. The public area is simply not the private area and includes any part of the site that the public can reach through navigation from another public page or by clicking through from the results of a search engine like Google or Bing.
  3. The Administrative Area. Most websites are programmed to interact with a database and to administer the page content a site owner uses an interface . This interface is a set of pages referred to as the administraion area and it is not connected to the public area. For example, if your website has a shopping cart with lists of items the public can browse, the administrative area would be used to keep those items updated with the correct image, price, etc. Not all websites will have an administrative area.

See Also these Website Design & Development Pages:

 

Website Cost Estimator

We have provided a Free Website Cost Estimator which allows you to select from a list of common pages of a website to give us a clear idea of what you are looking for so you can get a quick idea what your website might cost. Keep in mind that we have a variety of ways to cut down costs by talking to you about what your real requirements are so this calculator is only a ballpark model and will probably estimate higher than your actual cost.

I contacted The DesignSmith on a whim because I needed a custom sign designed quickly and had no clue as to a design layout. Paul immediately got back with me from my email request, asked a few questions, and delivered an outstanding product in 48 hours. Highly recommend The DesignSmith for any kind of digital design services and I'll certainly be back for future projects!

Mark Howard, Owner - H2Bravo Construction and Program Management, LLC

Paul did a great job of taking our information and transforming into a professional and attractive website. We were very pleased with his work and timely manner in handling all our needs.

Suzanne Kimball, owner - Louisiana Praline Company

Paul Miller was easy to work with because he listened to our needs and respected our ideas. His created an ideal website for my business. It is exactly what I wanted and Paul made it come to life. Our business has increased and our customers say that it was easy to gather the information from our site. I will continue to work with Paul Miller. I love how he is patient and continues to perfect and tweak the website when needed. I am extremely pleased with the professionalism and high level of service.

Maggie Hebert, Owner / Manager - Executive Suites of Baton Rouge

Paul was very helpful with creating a brand for my company. He has a great approach of taking what a company does a portraying that in logo and website graphics. He listened to what our company offers as well as what we wanted it to look like in a logo and website. Being a designer myself I really appreciated the way Paul took care of the client(me) throughout the entire design process. I would highly recommend using Paul for any of the services he offers. You get what you want when it is all over. That's true customer service.

Jeb Barber, Managing Partner - Makaira Design + Build

We have used The Designsmith to design several of our companies websites. Paul is very easy to work with and will come up with the perfect answer for your webpage design.

Leslie Hornyak, IT Director - PBOA/Risk Services

It was a pleasure working with Paul on my new website. I am very pleased with the final result and have been very impressed with the continued follow up to ensure any minor issues are addressed promptly. I highly recommend Paul to anyone looking for a new website. Thank you Paul!

Jason D Hutto, Owner - Jason D Hutto DDS

Paul gets design concepts quickly and gets them done. He is very responsive to the needs of the customer, and he listens to what WE want. He also has maintained our site with great care and attention, suggesting reasonable and necessary upgrades and protections that are critical in today's online environment. Paul is friendly and genuinely cares about how our site looks and functions, and he is always there to help.

Rusty Jabour, Past President - Greater Baton Rouge Community Tennis Association

We were ready to add some new features to our website and Paul once again came through. He has helped us create a website that we are proud of and one that will grow with our business. Thanks Paul!

George Clark, President - Taylor Clark Gallery

The Designsmith's innovative and fresh designs have propelled our company to greater success with an extremely unified look across different platforms including; Website design, promotional print and corporate identity materials. Paul Miller's knowledge and skills coupled with his easy to work with manner has made my job easier. Paul has the ability to complete projects quickly with great attention to detail. It is truly a rewarding experience to work with Paul and his company.

Dennis Garrett, General Manager - Home360 Inc.

Paul is knowledgeable and very timely on the projects we have requested. Asks detailed questions and make sure we are taking advantage of what is available.

Andy McGinty, EVP/COO - LIPCA Insurance

It quickly became apparent why Paul came so highly recommended. Not only does he bring his vast experience and expertise to your project, but he is a pleasure to work with, very helpful and extremely patient as he guides you through the website development process. In the end, we were left with a great website and one unanswered question - 'Why didn't we go to him sooner?'

Jimmy McGee, Owner - NOVA Consulting, LTD

Paul has built both of my websites. Being a designer myself I appreciate Paul's attention to detail.I will use him for years to come.

Jeb Barber, Owner - Makaira Landscape and Pools

Our company chose The Designsmith for the design of our company website. Paul was phenominal to work with. He created a website design that worked perfect with the image of our company and our profession. I have, and will continue to recommend them to anyone looking for professional design services.

Aaron Honore', Project Manager - Harvey Honore' Enterprises

Hello, I am very happy with the website created by the Designsmith for my new business, Red Stick Refinement. I have received so many compliments, I am beyond pleased! Paul's work is unique and eye-catching, but at the same time professional and organized. I highly recommend his work! ~April

April Setliff, Owner - Red Stick Refinement

I am very pleased with The Designsmith. Paul was able to figure out exactly what I needed. He met those needs with professionalism and care. Also, he was very easy to work with and made my project enjoyable.

Carl Barkemeyer, Owner - Carl Barkemeyer, Attorney at Law