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We receive a large volume of email asking general questions about online marketing, web design, hosting, requests for quotations and a range of other issues. We attempt to record the most common issues here, in case it helps answer your initial queries.

Please note, these FAQs relate mainly to queries from potential clients asking how we operate, or seeking advice on web site development or online marketing.  There is also a wealth of information available in the articles written on this website, contributed by Unearthed® and guest authors, which you may find useful.

Q. Please provide a quote for my new website ?

A. At Unearthed®, we pride ourselves on understanding a client's business and marketing strategy before suggesting a web solution for their needs. Therefore we can't and don't respond to anonymous queries from free email accounts with one line questions seeking a website 'quote'.

If a firm has been referred to us from existing satisfied clients (almost all our new business is generated this way) they will be aware both Unearthed® and the client need to engage in some exchange of information to determine the best solution for their needs. It does not do your business justice to be offered a cut-price quote from a web designer who wants to get their 'foot in the door', which is an unfortunate tactic used in the marketplace.

Q. How much does it cost to build a website ?

A. We find the best comparison to explain why there is no easy answer is : "How much does a car cost?". As you might appreciate a car can cost as little as a Hyundai Getz, or as much as a Lambourghini Countach.

The questions the motor industry or web industry would need answered are : 

Are you shopping for features or shopping based on price ?
Once purchased, do you require support and maintenance or will you go it alone ?
Do you wish to pay for quality and longevity or would you prefer to cut some corners for a quick, cheaper solution ?
Will you be 'competing' with this vehicle or it just intended to solve the bare minimum requirements ?

We are not suggesting you should spend a 'Lambourghini budget' on your website, but please recognise the web environment is a volatile market driven by creative and business expertise, and the available operators differ greatly in experience and pricing. Judging a new project purely by the cheapest price is almost certain to result in disappointment.

There are limited other similarities between the car and web industries, although the online sector is also plagued by some individuals and firms who compromise the reputation of the many good operators in the marketplace. The concept of GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) applies as much to estimating the costs of a website as it does to the actual development process.

Q. That sounds complex. I assume because you can't give a straight answer, you must be expensive ?

A. As explained, there is no straight answer for someone wanting to build an effective web presence. A lot depends on the environmental analysis for your unique business which will emerge from some of the documents and discussions mentioned here.

But to answer your question (!) Unearthed® is definitely not expensive, we charge a mid-market rate for our programming and project management resources, less than half the cost of most agencies offering anything remotely close to the quality of our output.

(We don't compete on price with long lost relatives who just finished a TAFE course in web design, or single operators with limited experience, because a large portion of our costs reflect industry experience, work quality, staff training and other personnel costs, and the ongoing support we provide through our network. Unearthed® will still be around to support you in years to come, unlike 'transient' cut-price labour)

Q. What do you need to give me a clear cost estimate for my website ?

Unearthed® needs an indepth understanding of what you would like to achieve online. This is usually achieved by a client providing one or more of :
a) Business plan
b) Marketing strategy (for the business as a whole)
c) Online marketing strategy (reflecting what proportion of total business you seek from the online medium)
d) Functional Specifications for a required website/portal
e) Technical Specifications including integration requirements for the website/portal

Obviously we jointly execute a Confidentiality Agreement before Unearthed® views your firms's commercially important information, but it is essential, if you genuinely want to build a world class website, that we treat each other as partners in formulating the required solution to your needs.

Q. A number of web design quotes have been cheap and simple, your questions make it sound complex ?

A. If you want a "quick, cheap and dirty" website, there are many firms prepared to operate that way, but we don't see the sense in spending any amount of your money if it potentially won't generate a return to your business. The quick and dirty approach, rather than being an investment in the online medium, simply becomes a sunk cost to your business.

Q. Everything you have said sounds extremely complex and time-consuming - I might never have time to prepare it ?

A. Everyone is aware of the terrifying statistics regarding the failure of small businesses. The failure of online businesses is less visible as the metrics are hard to identify, but a rough benchmark is for every unsuccessful 'bricks and mortar' business you will find 4-5 unsuccessful online projects.

At the 'high end' for larger firms, the pressure of the competitive environment and jostling for brand awareness and online position can wipe out substantial and solvent operations in a matter of weeks or months.

You need to dedicate time to developing plans / strategies, assisted by people with proven expertise in these areas, and invest in a plan to address key deliverables. If you can't provide the time and investment for this, it is likely safer to 'do nothing'. There are a number of well-planned web portals who will list and manage your product for you in exchange for a fee, which will provide them income to support your advertising on their online entity, and save wasting money on an online project which is poorly-planned.

Q. How can I be sure it is worth the effort to develop a plan?

A. At Unearthed®, we don't compromise our client's ability to succeed online by focussing on the money we make - the challenge is to ensure you make a return on your online investment. Our project methodology follows the successful formula we have used for nearly a decade, and mirrors the effort put into the online developments of some of the world's truly successful websites and portals.

No one can guarantee online success as this relies on a convergence of a number of factors :

• Price, Product, Promotion, Positioning
• Unique online content
• Focus on accuracy and currency of web content
• Competitive analysis and plan to address competitor activity
• Product quality and offerings
• Goodwill and product reputation
• Market demand for product
• External environmental influences (particularly for international markets)
• Widespread promotion avoiding reliance on a single distribution channel

While there are no guarantees, tourism businesses can dramatically maximise the chances of success, by approaching any web project in a well-planned manner.

Q. Why should I work with Unearthed® ?

A. It is of paramount importance you are comfortable working with any firm you engage with, in the online environment, as the reality is you'll likely need support and advice on an ongoing basis.

If Unearthed® is involved in developing your plans and strategies (eg. if one of our Business Analysts helps you prepare a Functional Specification for your proposed website) we work as though we are one of your employees, and aim to reserve your firm's freedom of choice. That is, any or our Functional Specifications can easily be used to seek competitive quotes from the marketplace.

The advantage of this approach is you are then receiving quotes on an "apples with apples" comparison, so quoting firms can't offer their cheap 'cookie cutter' solutions (which likely offer no competitive advantage),as they are bound to provide a quote to solve your needs. If the outcome of receiving competitive quotes leads you to be comfortable working with another firm, that's still a positive outcome for everyone involved. 

In the past we have found our expertise, output and extremely competitive pricing has meant clients using our project services progress to use our design and development team to complete web projects.