INTERNET INFORMATION AND ADVICE
All information in our Support, Articles, and Frequently Asked Questions, is offered as opinion,
not fact. As far as we are aware there are no inaccuracies in what we have written but if there
are, please accept our apologies and do notify us so that we can make amendments.
Frequently Asked Questions
• How much does a website cost to build and maintain?
• What is the difference between a web page and a web site?
• What is a domain name and do I need one?
• How do I register a domain name and how much does it cost?
• Why does my website appear in some search engines and not others?
Answers
How much does a web site cost to build and maintain?
Since every website is different, a standard amount can not be set for websites developed.
At Ecom Solutions a static website consisting of home page and four to six sub pages comes with a package which includes search engine optimization and submissions of the web site to a selection of the
most popular search engines and directories. The web site will require a domain name which will cost NZ$44 per annum and hosting can cost from NZ$7.50 per month to NZ$12.50 per month (this includes detailed site statistics software
and other tools see hosting section).
To see our hosting packages click here.
We offer two options for maintaining your web site, these are outlined below:
- Maintenance Managed by Ecom Solutions
- Maintenance Managed Independently by the Site Owner or Administrator
We can carry out cosmetic or text changes to your web site on an ad hoc basis. Updates are charged at our standard hourly rates and to keep future costs to a minimum, we will build your web site in a structured format using style sheets and clean code thus enabling maintenance, additions and updates to be carried out easily and efficiently.
A password-restricted online Content Management System can be built, from which you can update the content of your web site independently from any PC with an Internet connection. See our web development services page for more information.
A web site is made up of a home page and usually a number of web pages. Each web site must have its own unique domain name. Owning a web site as opposed to a web page provides the owner with a world of benefits, some of the following are:
- the web site can be registered with search engines and directories like Google,msn,searchnz and Yahoo.
- the domain name can be used for your email address (as in webdesigner@ecomsolutions.co.nz) allowing you to change your ISP without ever having to change your email address.
- the domain name also advertises your company name.
- marketing becomes easier. - a web site portrays a more professional image of a company than merely a web page on another company's web site.
What is a domain name and do I need one?
A domain name is the unique name that identifies a web site, otherwise known as a web address. Domain names comprise either: a name and a classification code (eg. ecomsolutions.co.nz, lionsclub.org); a name and a country code (eg. subaru.jp, kiwi.co.nz); or a name, a classification code, and a country code(eg. tv3.co.nz, bbc.co.uk). Every web site needs a domain name and there are many benefits to owning one.
How do I register a domain name and what does it cost?
Most web designers and ISPs can register a domain name on your behalf. Ecom Solutions charges NZ$50+GST to register(1st yr only) a domain name and it can be done in just a couple of hours (during normal business hours). All domain names also incur yearly registration fees. For .nz domain names, our yearly fee is NZ$44+GST and for .co.nz, .com, .org and .net domain names, our yearly fee is NZ$40+GST.
Once your domain name is registered it needs to be hosted to remain valid. If the domain name is attached to a web site, hosting the domain name is included in the cost of the hosting of the web site (Ecom Solutions charges from NZ$66 to NZ$150 yearly to host a web site). If the domain name isn't being used a nominal monthly fee is sometimes charged to host (park) the domain name, although Ecom Solutions will do this for free.
Why does my web site appear in some search engines and not others?
The term search engine is commonly applied to all manner of web sites that assist Internet users to find web sites they are looking for. In fact, the term search engine should really only apply to those web sites that use programs to automatically search for and index every web page (and in many cases every word on every web page)on part of or all of the world wide web.
Search engines are also sometimes referred to as spiders or crawlers (or metacrawlers). Search engines are particularly useful for finding specific, hard-to-find information and, as such, serve as an invaluable tool for researchers. However, because many tend to index web pages indiscriminately, search engines commonly produce search results that include many web pages that have little or nothing to do with what you were searching for. However, the relevancy of search results is rapidly improving. Google is the world's most popular search engine.
Directories are completely different from search engines. Instead of listing web pages they only list web sites, and instead of being created automatically by a computer they are created manually by real live human beings and some of them apply pretty stringent quality control regimes. First, sites must be manually submitted by the web site owner or web designer who suggests which category or categories the web site should be listed in. Then the site is checked out to make sure it exists and is competently constructed and that it fits the category or categories suggested. And then, if everything is in order, the web site is included in the directory. Yahoo!, is a popular directory.
