How long will it take to create my website?
Can you register my domain name and arrange web space for me?
Why do my pages seem narrower than my screen?
Why are there two sets of links on my pages?
Why do I not see changes happening on my pages?
Do I really need a Contact form?
Are required fields on a form necessary?
Can I use any font I like on my pages?
What is a browser-safe color?

Q How long will it take to create my website and have it "live" on the Web?
A That depends on a lot of factors. Some sites may be running in a few days, others may take weeks. The main factor is how soon we receive the necessary materials. If your site includes a lot of pictures or other graphics, the sooner we receive them in digital format, the sooner they can be incorporated into sample and approval pages.
Web space is another factor. If you already have space on a server, then testing of server-dependent elements can begin immediately. If domain registration and web space must be arranged, this usually takes a few days.
Development of a custom site is typically a process of creating sample pages from initial information, receiving feedback and other material from the client and incorporating these changes into the developing pages for approval and further feedback. If initial information is complete, development is usually faster. If initial information is less certain, more changes may be required to arrive at a satisfactory result.
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Q Can you register my domain name and arrange my web space for me?
A For a small fee plus the cost of these third-party services, we will be happy to register your domain name, arrange your domain name service and set up your web space with a reliable hosting service. Monthly fees for web hosting and yearly fees for domain name renewal will be billed directly to you by these third parties. Because these are third-party services, payment for their initial fees must be in advance. WebVector.net accepts no further responsibility for them, but as consultants we recommend only those vendors with a reliable track record.
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Q When I look at my pages on my computer, they seem narrower than my screen. Why?
A Web pages are typically formatted to accommodate as many different screen types as possible. A page 800 pixels wide will fit on the vast majority of small screens, laptops and computers with resolution set to 800X600. If the page gets any wider, people with these screens will be forced to scroll right and left as well as up and down to see the whole page. Most people find this tiresome, especially people with laptops who may not have a regular mouse. For this reason, it's considered a wise courtesy for a business-oriented site to hold down the width of the page.
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Q Why are there two sets of links on my pages?
A Standard design practice for Web pages is to provide two navigation bars, one near the top of the page, and a second one at the bottom. If your pages scroll, a navigation bar at the bottom allows your visitors to link to the next page in your site without scrolling back up to the top of the page.
A secondary consideration is that a few people who surf the Internet use browsers that do not support image links. If the main navigation scheme in your site is based on images or JavaScript, it is a good idea to provide a second set of pure text links, which will always work on any browser.
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Q I was told changes were made to my pages, but I don't see any difference. Why?
A Your browser's cache is probably showing you the old page instead of downloading the new one. The cache is a piece of your hard drive that your browser uses to save all the elements of every web page you view. If you view that same page again later, your browser may just recreate the page from that saved material instead of downloading the page from the server again. This saves time, but it can also mean that you never see the newest version of that page. Your cache will just keep showing you the old version over and over. There are browser settings to control this, but each browser is different. For instructions on controlling the action of your cache, look under your browser's "Help" menu.
For an easy fix without changing any settings, hold down the "Shift" key on your keyboard, then click the "Refresh" or "Reload" button on your browser. This will force the browser to ignore the cache and download the page. Usually it's not an issue, except when you view the same pages a lot and they change often. The cache may prevent you from seeing the changes.
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Q Do I really need a Contact form?
A There is no requirement to have a contact form of course, but it's considered a courtesy. A mail form allows people to e-mail you without involving their own e-mail program. Many people don't have an e-mail program or don't know how to set one up, and they just use Hotmail or another online e-mail service. If these people are at your site and want to e-mail you, first they will have to go to Hotmail, type in their user name and password, and access their mailbox before they can write the message. They may not come back if that's too much trouble. If you have a mail form on your pages, they can write their e-mail right there with no further hassle. If you want to hear from people on the Internet, make it easy for them.
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Q What about required fields on a form? It seems rude and demanding to require certain information from people.
A Required fields aren't necessary, they are usually used just to make sure people provide a way to get back to them. You don't want a potential customer to forget to give an e-mail address or phone number; there are a lot of John Smith's out there. Whether a particular form field should be required is a matter of personal preference. Often at least one field will be required just to prevent jokers from submitting a completely empty form. The mailform is there for the convenience of your visitors. They don't have to use it, but it makes it easy for people who prefer e-mail to long-distance charges. If that is your intention, you may add a disclaimer to the form that information submitted will not be used for any purpose other than responding. This is a courtesy that can ease some fears. The rest is your choice; any or none of the fields on a form can be required.
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Q Can I use any font I like on my pages?
A Although you can code your pages to display any font you've ever seen, if that font is not installed on a user's computer, then that person will not see the font you intended. If a particular computer does not have a font that is referred to by your pages, it will display that text in a plain serif or sans-serif font, usually Arial or Times New Roman. For this reason, it is a good idea to stick with the most common fonts that are already installed on most computers.
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Q What is a "browser-safe" color, and why does it matter?
A Most computers are advertised as being capable of displaying over 16 million different colors, and technically this is true. Colors are stored as 6-digit hexadecimal (base 16) numbers, which can have over 16 million different values. In real life, however, large changes in these values are required to produce visible changes in the shades of color you see.
More importantly, only a small fraction of these values produce colors that are considered browser-safe. Each monitor and video card render colors from these values a little differently. What appears light green on one computer may look orange or teal on another. Of all the millions of different values that are possible, only a few hundred produce colors that will look virtually the same on all computers. These few hundred are the colors that are considered browser-safe.
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