Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007 - (Page 22)

NEW Technology FOR THE AGENT changes (or need to know how to use a program like Dreamweaver to edit the site). I Usually there are additional charges to maintain your site after the initial design. Cost: Expect to pay between $65 and $250 an hour, depending on their skill and location. A small firm may charge as little as $2,000 for a site; others, well above $7,000, depending on your requirements. registrar companies, CMS vendors offer templates as well as professional design services. I Sites can be built with little or no design skills and can be updated in real-time. I You do not have to have a dedicated web developer. I Many offer chat support to help you in real-time. and their cons: I Continued from page 21 Do they charge extra for support? I How reliable are they? What is their site up time? Cost: Starting at as little as $399 per year. I Professional Web Site Design Firm Which firm you choose depends on your skill, comfort level and budget. I like to work with a local company, but you may be willing to work remotely with a company over the phone for a lower cost. Their pros: I Have them build out several options for you—maybe there are elements you can add in phases to defer upfront costs. Content Management Systems A good design firm will leverage its team’s expertise and experience to build a professional web site. I You have experts to rely on if something goes down or is not working properly. I These companies usually have a good understanding of W3C (the main World Wide Web international standards organization) standards and usability requirements. and their cons: I Usually higher upfront costs. I May require you to host with them. IY must involve them in order to make ou 22 The world of web design has now come to a point of understanding—sometimes small businesses need to be able to change their content on the fly. It is not practical to pay a designer for a half hour’s worth of work to post one or two images to your site. CMSs are becoming more affordable due to demand, and many vendors are catering to the small business owner’s needs. Their pros: I Similar to some of the Internet May be harder to optimize for down the road due to long URL strings. I How search engine friendly is the design? Does it duplicate content? I Can you use an outside vendor to optimize your site? Can the platform be built on? Will it integrate with Web 2.0 features? Cost: Expect to pay $1,500 and up for the CMS, without design services. Many companies have a one-time charge of $499 for the initial design. When it comes to planning your web site, you need to be realistic. Decide how much time you have, how big your budget is and what elements you really need to engage and maintain your audience. Compromises may need to be made for the type of platform you use, but you should not sacrifice your user experience. If you plan to drive traffic via search, then an out-of-the-box solution may not be right for you. However, if you have a strong sense of design and a good amount of time to dedicate to updating your site, a CMS can give you a lot of control. No matter who you talk to or how much research you do, always remember a few old adages: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; and you get what you pay for. Developing and selecting a vendor for your web site isn’t easy, but clearly identifying your goals before building a site will ensure that you make a smart investment. — Alison McPartland Home-BasedTravelAgent SEPTEMBER 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007

Contents Editor's Note - Last-Minute Travel Publisher's Note - Communication is Key Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight Your Technology Industry News Hot Deals Home-Based Networking Preventing Legal Woes Destinations: Turkey Cover Story: Walking Ireland Destinations: Caribbean Destinations: Boston Cruises: Forecast Hotels Tours New Products

Home-Based Travel Agent - September 2007

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