FAQ
The following is a selection of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) that we've had clients ask us in the past. If you have any other questions you think we should add to this list please contact us.
Will the Internet continue to grow?
Current statistics indicate that the Internet will continue growing. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1998, about 1.1 million Australian households (16%) had access to the internet. By 2005, this figure had quadrupled to over 4.4 million (56% of households)! Almost three quarters (74%) of Australian businesses used the internet during 2003-04!
How many people buy online?
Based on analysis provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, acceptance of online shopping grew strongly amongst Australian consumers with the number of people buying online increasing from 5% (0.8 million) in 1999 to 31% (4.7 million) in 2005. Business internet income in Australia grew by 37% from $24 billion in 2002-03 to $33 billion in 2003-04!
What are the demographics of people using the Internet?
This varies greatly depending on what research you review. The business community has the fastest Internet and website uptake of any group. Here are some statistics related to your typical Internet user:
- 44% of users have incomes above $70,000 (AUD)
- 65% of users are male
- Average age is 33
How do people find out about websites?
According to the responses of a online survey, people find out about websites in many different ways:
- 90% link to websites from other sites with reciprocal (shared) links,
- 85% find their websites using search engines!
- 65% hear of websites by way of word-of-mouth,
- 64% see website addresses listed in magazines and newspapers.
How do we let people know about our website?
As indicated in the above figures, effective marketing of a website is achieved utilising techniques including;
- Reciprocal Links (linked your site to one that has a lot of (related) visitors);
- Search Engine Submission (submitting your website on the most popular search engines);
- Off-line Advertising (placing your web address on all your business literature (business cards, brochures, signage, flyers, print publications etc.)
What proportion of businesses use the internet?
The ABS reports that almost three-quarters (74%) of Australian businesses used the internet during 2003-04. In 2000, 16% of Australian businesses had a web presence. By 2004, this had increased to 25% of Australian Businesses.
How long does it normally take to build a Kinetic Website?
For a typical Kinetic Website, we usually estimate the time required to completely design and build a website to be between 15 – 20 working days provided that all content is promptly supplied by you. Delays in supplying information and approving work done by KDG will obviously set back the delivery time. Complex Kinetic Websites may take and longer depending on what Web Options need to be integrated and configured.
What’s the difference between a Hosting Provider and an Internet Service Provider (ISP)?
ISP’s specialise in connecting you to the Internet so that you can view websites. Your internet connection may either be via a slow dial-up modem or a fast broadband modem (eg. Cable, DSL etc.). A Hosting Provider is a company that puts your website on the Internet so people with internet connections can view your website. When choosing your Hosting Provider it is important to ask yourself:
- Can they cope with the 'type' of site you have (eg. Type of programming language, database etc.),
- Will their system be able to cope with the number of visitors your site attracts; and
- Do they provide a back-up and redundancy service in case of problems?
KDG uses Australia’s top 2 Hosting Providers, WebCentral and destra Hosting to ensure your website gets the best hosting available.
What's a ‘web link’ or ‘hyperlink’?
A web link (aka hyperlink) is a bit of text on your website that, when clicked, takes you to another sections of your website, another website or other online service. It is a tool used to help navigate websites.
What's a ‘search engine’?
A search engine is a computer that reviews (and ranks in an order) the content of websites. If a person enters a ‘keyword' (or number of keywords) into a search engine, that person will be shown a list of sites to visit that contain the keyword(s).
What's ‘web surfing’?
Web surfing is the term given to reviewing/researching websites by going from one link to another.
What’s ‘e-commerce’ or ‘e-business’?
What’s ‘e-commerce’ or ‘e-business’?
E-commerce (e-business) is the term used to describe the purchasing of products/services over the Internet.
How do I work out my Website Requirements?
The internet can be a very complex and daunting medium to work with, which is why KDG have trained Consultants to help you through the process. Even though you may have seen other websites that you like, we don’t expect you to know exactly what you will want or need from your website. That is why we invest time to discuss your requirements with you and make recommendations where appropriate. Once the objectives of the website are clearly identified, we look at how we are going to successfully achieve these goals with the resources available to us.
Many web development companies claim they have “tried-and-tested” solutions but how many of them are actually results focussed. At KDG, we believe that a successful website is one that achieves the goals set out during the brief. Anything else is just a waste of time and money. With this philosophy in mind, we look at what tools and strategies we can use to achieve the goals identified during our consultation with you. The selected tools and strategies required for the website to achieve these goals make up the Website Requirements.
Since 1999, KDG have been developing and refining a range of products, services and systems to help us deliver on our promises. Not many web developers can boast a collection of over 100 customisable products and services to help your website succeed. We’ve invested thousands of hours of research and development to give our clients access to some of the most profitable web-based solutions available. This means the Website Requirements we select for your business will provide your business with an optimal solution for achieving the set goals. Details of the various products and services can be found in the Web Options section.
If you would like to have one of our Consultant come out to your business to discuss your Website Requirements in more detail, please complete the Free Consultation form.
How do I choose the right Content Sections for my website?
Now that you’ve considered some of the critical factors of developing a successful website, you’ll need to decide what Content Sections will accurately convey information about your business and the logical order in which they will appear. If you sell products, this may focus on your Product Catalogue or if you provide a service it might outline the details of the services you provide. Either way, you’ll need to select the right headings for each of your Content Sections to make it easy for your customers to find what they’re looking for. Here are some examples to help you decide:
- Content Sections suitable for all businesses:
Home, Company Profile, Latest News, Contact Details, Legal Notices etc.
- Content Sections suitable for product-based businesses:
Products, Suppliers, Specials, Testimonials, Ordering Online, FAQ’s, etc.
- Content Sections suitable for service-based businesses:
Services, Promotions, Case Studies, Portfolio, Client List, Links etc,
Don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time, you’ll be given the power to edit all your Content Sections using the Kinetic Site Manager software provided with your Kinetic Website. It lets you edit the names of each section, manage the order in which your sections are shown and even lets you create as many new Content Sections as you need to promote your products and services. The software also automatically updates your navigation menu (including fly-out sub-section menus) and generates an intuitive sitemap on your website to help users navigate your site.
What are the important factors to consider when developing a website?
There are a number of factors that contribute to the development of a successful website. During the Free Consultation, we would look at the following factors:
- Professional Interface Design
A website today represents the first contact point for many prospective customers. It demonstrates how professional a company is and what kind of attitude they have in selling themselves. At KDG, we take our website interface design seriously, which is why during the interface design stage we will discuss the interface and layout of the site with you to ensure our designers create a website layout that is not only attractive and appealing but more importantly reflects the appropriate image of your business. Unlike other web developers that take full authority over the visual direction of your site, we do not start any construction work unless you are 100% satisfied with the interface design and have approved it for development.
- High Quality Content
Along with having an appealing and attractive look and feel to the site, the content of the site must be precisely what the user wants to see. This information must be carefully written to ensure it contains all the relevant keywords to help your website achieve a high Search Engine Ranking (SER). The content must also be arranged in a logical structure to make it easy for the user to navigate around your website. For this reason, KDG will carefully plan out the navigation menu and review your website content to ensure that your selected keywords have been utilised appropriately. If you don’t have the time to write search engine friendly website content, speak to your KDG Consultant about getting one of our qualified Copywriters to do it for you.
- Information up-to-date
Nothing is more frustrating to a prospective customer than seeing out of date content on a website. More than likely, they will close their web browser and search for another business that has more recent information. That is why it is so important to ensure the information on your website is always current and up-to-date. To help you do this, KDG has developed the Kinetic Site Manager, a content management system that is included in every Kinetic Website.
- Customer Details Captured
What’s the point of getting a customer to view your website if you don’t know that they’re doing it? Capturing information about your customers is a vital part of your marketing strategy so this is an important factor to consider when developing your site. You may wish to do this with a simple Online Enquiry Form, or perhaps include their details as part of an Online Order Form. Alternatively, you may wish to get them to sign-up to a free Email Newsletter you send out every month. Whatever you choose, make sure you are getting information about your customers so that you can continue to market your products and services to them.
- High Levels of Security
If your business is going to be collecting credit card details online then you will need to consider incorporating high levels of security for all your online transactions. Customers want to be reassured that the information they are providing is safe and will not be intercepted by malicious third parties. Increasing your sites security will usually involve upgrading your hosting account to include a Shared SSL Certificate or even adding customised Encryption Software and Shopper IP Tracking to boost your sites security.
- Fast Loading Site
The biggest single reason visitors don’t stay at a website is that it takes too long to load (ie. the time it takes for the page to appear on the computer screen). KDG develop all their sites using efficient programming principles to ensure that it 'loads' as quickly as possible. We utilise a strong text base for the pages (text loads very quickly) and optimised graphics. Depending on the size and types of graphics required, KDG will ensure that they are saved in the most appropriate file format and compressed to guarantee the smallest file size possible. We’ve even developed an application that automatically resizes any photos uploaded to your Image Gallery into a small thumbnail which is then compressed and saved to ensure your site loads as fast as possible.
- Users Entertained
Without interactivity, a website is just a book online. The more a visitor can interact and 'do things' on the site, the more likely they are to revisit. The importance of having visitors return is supported by the fact that statistically, people will buy from you after an average of seven previous visits. KDG has therefore developed many features to promote interactivity amongst your online customers including Interactive Virtual Tours, Animated Assistants, Interactive Location Maps, Forums, Chat Rooms plus many more.
- Stickability (making sure your users browse your website for longer)
The longer you can keep your customer on your website, the greater chance there is that they will buy from you. In the industry, we nickname this ‘Stickability’ – the length of time a viewer is ‘stuck’ on your website. Think of it as being ‘glued’ to your TV when a great show is on, this is the same effect your website should have. It should be full of interesting information and should encourage the user to stay as long as they like. Incorporating various Content Options, Store Options and Marketing Options will help to achieve this objective. Speak to your KDG Consultant about strategies you can use to enhance the stickability of your website.
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