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What's More Expensive A Coffee A Day Or A Website?

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 07:12 GMT

If a cup of coffee costs around $2 - $3 for a cup of coffee a day than you must spend around $60 - $90 a month for your caffeine habit. And that's if you have only one cup and you are buying a specially made coffee from Starbucks, or Barnes & Co.

It's actually cheaper to get a website than it is to get coffee each day, at least at SDG.

We here at Symurge Design Group offer “Custom Design Websites” at “Custom Payment Options”. By providing this offer we are allowing every small business the opportunity to get online with a new website or a redesigned one.

“LIMITED TIME OFFER!!! CUSTOM WEBSITE AT CUSTOM PAYMENT OPTIONS!!!”

Who qualifies for this offer?How does it work? What's the catch? How do I signup?

REQUIREMENTS:

Business or Organization must have a physical office or space
Working email account
Credit Card

PROCESS:

Signup by Choosing a Package Or Make One
Make a Downpayment
Begin Website Development
Complete Website Project
Make Monthly Payments on Remaining Balance
Let SDG Maintain & Host Your Site

FEATURES:

FREE Onsite or Phone Consultation
Unique & Customized Website
Proven Results Oriented Design
Search Engine Submissions
Search Engine Optimized Website
Email Account Setup
Traffic Analysis
2 Months of FREE Maintenance
More Features

PACKAGES:

#1 Splash - 1 to 2 Pages, 2 -3 pictures per page for $450, $250 down payment, 4 monthly payments of $50
#2 Standard - 5 to 8 Pages, 2 to 3 pictures per page for $1500, $300 down payment, 12 monthly payments of $100
#3 Custom Package - tell us your needs and we'll give you a quote, $600 down payment, with monthly payments starting at $100 a month

SIGNUP TODAY
*State in “Comments” area which package you are interested in.

Visit FAQ page if you have any questions.

What To Do Before Contacting A Web Design Company

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 18:51 GMT

What To Do Before Contacting A Web Design Company

This is a guide for those who want a web site for their business, organization, group or personal usage and want to prepare themselves before they take the big plunge to the internet age.

1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT?

Yes, to get to the destination we must first know where it is. When it comes to web design, knowing what you want with it can be these answers:

A. I want a web site coz’ my competitor has one. Are we not all driven by competition, speaking to the entrepreneur’s out there. Well if your competitor has been, you most definitely should have one. Why? Because if you don’t then your customer is reaching out or exposing his products and services to an audience that you obviously could not. That gives him a marketing advantage.

B. I NEEEEEEDD a web site. Now that’s more like it! If you answered this, then you are smarter than most people, and should give yourself a pat on the back. For those who did not, that’s okay I’m sure you were coming to that conclusion. Seriously. So why do does a business, an organization or person need a web site. There are various reasons, some that are obvious and others you may not have though of. That would be a great topic for next time, in the meantime, read on.

C. My business is getting to much to handle. Did you know that multi-million dollar companies like Dell, and Amazon is banking billions because they got their business concepts online that streamlined and automated most of their company’s funcions allowing them to become one of the most successful businesses in the world. Imagine waiting on the phone for a customer service rep to take your order when you could simply go online and do it quick and painless. Having a web site can help your company in many ways. Contact an SDG representative today to find out how.

2. FIGURE OUT A BUDGET
Before I mention anything else, let me just say, why web design firms ask this. It’s like buying a car. You go to a dealership and look at cars hoping to drive one out. To help the salesperson from rambling on about Car A, you might actually be interested in Car B, which is your type and in the budget of what you are looking to spend. You have an idea of the features and have a certain expectation of what the car does.

So building a web site is like buying a car, you need to have a budget for it, or else you might spend to much and feel bad about buying and not to mention spending to much time learning and finding out about stuff you really are not interested in.

Be careful though, because sometimes web design firms prey on the uninformative consumer, so best be prepared and ask a lot of questions.

3. LOOK AT THE WORK
Legitimate web design firms should have their work displayed on their company web site. This will give you an idea on what the web design company is capable of doing and how they do things. If you like what you see, then that is a good sign to go with them. Be weary of web design firms that have undated web sites. What that means is, how professional and up-to-date is

What To Look For In A Web Design Company?

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 09:41 GMT

After been in the web development industry for almost 5 years now, we sometimes get customers who have been jaded by other web design companies they have worked for. As a matter of fact, our first customer had gone through 6 web designers before they came to us.

Wow, talk about a bad streak. Given that, the web project was a huge undertaking (it took us 6 months to finish), I can see why others have failed. Just recently, one of our latest customers (Nameless), had told us that we were the 4rth Web Design Company they have worked with, and $6000 in expenses, with nothing to show for.

So I figured I should right a Blog about what company's should look for when in need of a web site. I'll try not to be bias about this, but I can't promise anything.

1. What is your budget or what are you willing to spend? Why ask this, well, the saying goes You get what you pay for! ring a bell. Many times company's go for the cheaper route and end up getting burned. They will hire their son's or daughter's college friend who knows a little about web design. Just put it this way, your company's image is on the line, and the whole world has an opportunity to see what you're all about, are you really going to put it in the hands of an unprofessional.

What am I saying? Go look for a web design company with a good track record. Spend the extra cash, and don't get burned. Ask for estimates or ball park figures so that you don't waste your time and their time too. Once you find those who are in your price range, go to the next criteria of this guide.

2. Location, location, oh, did I mention location. What do I mean? Well the safer bet would be to choose a company that's local, a company that you can visit or be visited by, so you can judge them personally and not just talk to them by phone or e-mail. Don't get us wrong, we have customers that we have never met personally, but they usually choose us due to a highly praised recommendation(I tried!). Most of our new customers are by word-of-mouth, and some find us on the web. Since we moved to Brevard County, we have developed a site that helps get us noticed locally. Its optimized for the top search engines.(Find out here)

Bear in mind, some of these companies may not have an office suite dedicated to their business; probably most of them work from home. Most self-owned businesses are operated from the home. Nothing wrong with that. It will probably save you on the fees, since they don't charge for the extra overhead.

3. Critique the work! If you are going to hire a reputable and suitable web design company to do your web site, it's good to know that they have experience with it and that they can deliver. Many web design companies are different, some do very basic web sites, others do just e-commerce, and some do web applications. The difference is the amount of customization and functionality they can bring to the table.

How do you judge the work? Visit the work, see what they did with it and compare it to other popular web sites. This section alone can be a whole Blog in it self. Visit this web site for proper web design techniques:

FREE Software Must Haves

Sun, 13 Nov 2005 13:25 GMT

You mean there is actual stuff out there on the internet that is actually free? YES!!!

Don’t ask us why, that’s a whole new article, just be happy it is…we are!

Anyways, so here is a few list of a few software that you can use personally enjoy:

Image or Photo Editing
http://gimp.org

Browsers
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

E-mail Program
http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/

Instant Messenger All-in-one
http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/

Anti-Virus, Internet Firewall, & Spyware
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en
http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/

Bible study software
http://e-sword.net/index.html
http://www.crosswire.org/index.jsp

Google 3D Planet Interface
http://earth.google.com/

Network Vulnerability Scanner
http://www.nessus.org/download/

Video Editing
http://www.jahshaka.com/
http://heroinewarrior.com/cinelerra.php3

3D graphics/modeling programs
http://www.blender3d.org/

Image Painting Retouching
http://cinepaint.sourceforge.net/

Vector-based illustration and graphics tool
http://www.inkscape.org/

Multi-track digital audio
http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

HTML & PHP Editors
http://www.mpsoftware.dk/phpdesigner.php
http://www.mpsoftware.dk/htmlgate.php
http://www.chami.com/html-kit/
http://www.evrsoft.com/down

Why Small Businesses Do Not Have A Web Site?

Fri, 28 Oct 2005 16:52 GMT

Here are a few reasons why some small businesses haven’t taken the leap into the “Internet” zone by having a web site:

1. Fear Of The Unknown: Technology
- Are you allowing your fears to get the best for your business. If you are not tech savvy or familiar with the internet, now is the time to learn, there are many free classes that are taught in local libraries, and many books that can instruct you so that your fears of technology can be overcomed. There are numerous of sites like “Wikipedia.org” that has useful information on the basics of the internet.

Once you have overcome that fear your curiosity for the World Wide Web will only increase and so would your understanding. There is also a great sense of pride and accomplish to know that your business has a web site featuring your business and that it can be seen by anyone, anywhere and at anytime.

2. Comfortable With What Works:
- Perhaps your business practice has been the same for years and the need for a web site has not been required. Read this blog on “Do small businesses need a web site?” and find out if a web site is for you.

Plain and simple, having a web site tells your customers that you are looking after your business and that they know you will be around for awhile.

What works today or yesterday may not work tomorrow? A web site can only increase credibility, confidence, to name a few, if done properly and effectively.

3. Web Sites are Expensive to Build:
- This is perhaps one of the top reasons why over 20% of small businesses do not have web site yet. When the internet was in its infancy stage the cost of building a web site was enormous because only a few could do it well. But with the tools and the easy access of designing web sites has splurged in the last few years constructing a web site has become easier.

Don’t get me wrong, any one can build a web site. There are online companies that provide easy to follow “Build Your Own Website” today that is plaguing many small businesses web sites today because of its unprofessional and common looking design and lack of functionality. Read this blog on “Business Web Sites Should Have These Features!” to understand what your web site needs to be effective.

Cost of a custom web site with a minimum of 5 pages today can range from $1000 - $2000 depending on its features. Inquire today to get a custom web site quote for your business.

4. We Already Have A Useless Web Site:
- I paid for mine years ago and it cost me a bundle, and the web site really is not that useful! Sound familiar? If your web site was not designed with your business in mind, then your web site was designed in vain. Your site should:

* increase profits or services
* streamline c

Symurge Design Group Joins Space Coast Advertising Federation

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 14:17 GMT

To better serve our community Symurge Design Group joins the 4th District of the AAF, called the Space Coast Advertising Federation. The group is a local organization located in Brevard County that promotes advertising in the local community along side with advertising professionals. Here members are able to network and work together and use their skills for the benefit of the community.

This group also has seminars that enhance and update skills related to advertising.

SDG is proud to be a member and looks forward to serving the community in any we can.

SDG is listed on the TOP search engines!

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 12:34 GMT

After 2 months of plotting and implementation, we have finally gotten our main site (www.sdgcompany.com) to the top search engines for a few of the keywords we have targeted. This demonstration was a “marketing tool” to attract and display our skills.

See for yourself at Google.com, Altavista.com and at Yahoo.com, by clicking on each of the links. Our targeted keywords were “Brevard County Web Design“, “Brevard County Domain Registration“, and “Brevard County Web Hosting“.

As part of what we do here in SDG is offer internet marketing, and an aspect of that service is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Give us a call or complete our “Request A Quote” online form here. We would love to bring your business to the top of the search engines.

We have many exciting new online ventures coming soon, so come back for more. Thanks for tuning in.

Business Web Sites Should Have These Features!

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 20:55 GMT

Many business web sites are not utilizing their sites the way they need to. Either because they do not have it available from their hosting provider or they simple do not know that it is there to use. Below are some features that your web site should have and their functions:

1. E-mail Accounts: Many times you get business cards that have e-mail accounts from free e-mail providers like Yahoo or MSN Hotmail (ex: yourcompany@yahoo.com), sometimes even from their ISP like AOL, Earthlink, or Netzero (ex: yourcompany@cfl.rr.com). What’s wrong with using these e-mail accounts? Well, first of all it does not look professional, and second you are not marketing your web site address. If you want your customers to remember your web site they need to be exposed to it.

2. E-mail Auto-Responder: If you don’t have the previous feature you will definitely not have this. This feature allows someone to receive an e-mail response from you automatically as soon as they either e-mail you or complete an online form(discussed below) from your web site. This allows potential or existing customers that their message has been received and is being delegated appropriately. Make sure to include your company’s general information and the web site address as well. Indicate to the recipient that their message or e-mail has been received and that this response is a “Confirmation”.

3. Online Form: Want to avoid spam and make it easier for your customers to contact your business? Then use an online form. What is an online form? Go here to see an example. This is SDG’s Online Request A Quote Form. It does 2 things, first it sends out a “Confirmation” auto-responder e-mail to the customer who just completed the form, along with our company information, and a copy of the message that was completed, second, it sends SDG associates a copy of the completed “Online Request Form” as well. This allows us to respond appropriately.

4. Traffic Analysis: If you got a web site and have done all the marketing on it, how do you know if people visit the site? We are not talking about “Visitor Counters”, they really do nothing but tell your visitors if your site is popular or not. Go here to see an example. Wow, is that thorough or what!

5. Keywords Used by Search Engines Analysis: Do you want to know what keywords your visitors used to get to your site? Then this feature is an absolute necessity, especially if you have an “Online Campaign” that optimizes your site for specific keywords for Search Engines to crawl for. If you missed it from the previous feature mentioned above, the example link shows (in the bottom under “Search Keyphrases”) an example of this feature.

6. Parked Domains: Having just one domain name for your company is not enough. Especially is you want buy the different extensions (ex: .com, .net, . org, .biz). Most c