Like building a house, there are many very specialized steps to make sure that the project is done right. Many people are confused about how the internet works, and how your web site gets from an idea to a presence. This isn't surprising as many web site developers attempt to be total solutions providers for their customers. When building a house, having a single company that does the architecture, framing, plumbing, electrical, painting, carpeting, roofing, landscaping and interior design is unheard of. Why shoud a website be any different?

 We believe that contracting us from the begining of your project will give you the best overall solution. By overseeing the right specialists and helping them to maintain their focus on the overall picture of your site, it allows each of them to focus on what they each do well without detracting from the overall project.

 These specialists can include:

Domain Registration Company

Web Site Hosting Company

Web Site Design Company

Content Writing Company

Web Site Marketing Company

Third Party Solution Provider

 Lets go over the steps as to how we believe a web site should get from concept to finished product, and what each company's role is along the way.

1. Web site Consulting Company: If you do not bring in an expert that can guide you along from the outset, you will not get the maximum functionality and value from your site. Substratum Consultants know the peaks and pitfalls of creating a web site every step of the way and will guide you along the proper path to e-success. Just like any other venture, jumping in and making decisions before getting the proper advice can be costly!
2. Web site Name Purchased: When you purchase a domain name you are paying a 'Registrar' a licensing fee to take control of a domain name such as 'yourdomainname.com'. They provide some tools that allow you to tell people where the domain DNS servers are. This is a very simple and competitive market (from $0 - $60/yr), however choosing the right Registrar to use can make the difference when it comes to site uptime, privacy of information, and keeping the domain name yours!
3. DNS Serving: When someone types in your newly purchased domain name 'yourdomain.com', the Registrar forwards their request to your site's DNS (Domain Name System) Server. This DNS server is a service traditionally provided by your Web hosting Provider (see #4) and it allows different services of your domain name to be relocated to different locations. Why? Your web site may be located on a server dedicated specifically to web site hosting whereas your email might be located on a server dedicated specifically to email hosting. Other services like public FTP and DATABASE may also be hosted on different machines as well, and this DNS server reroutes the request for your Domain Name based upon the type of information being requested.
4. Web Site Hosting: Your site's data has to physically be located somewhere in order for it to be viewed. There are literally thousands of Web site Hosting companies out there and they can make or break your web site's functionality and uptime. The choice of hardware, operating system, software, internal network structure, optional components, and costs (from $2 - $2000/month) that a web hosting provider can have create a very difficult and delicate decision in choosing the right provider for your needs. Where you host your site's data will set the tone for what sort of technology can be used when creating your web site and how services such as your email will work as well. By knowing the needs of your web site, Substratum Consultants can make sure that the DNS server is set up right.
5. Database Hosting: Internet customers are tired of static sites. If your web site is a cookie-cutter business card web site that doesn't provide any functionality or interactivity then your site is simply not going to be functional for more than a single visit. Different requirements require different database solutions and we can make sure that the database that is chosen will meet your needs.
6. Web Site Design: Once we have the concept of WHAT your site needs to do, and where it is what technology we are going to need to get it there, it is time to bring in the people that do the graphic design work that will make you and the people visiting your site enjoy what they see. With many of our competitors, this is actually the first step, which can lead to problem in the future. If you start with what you want it to look like and then try to make it do what you want, you will usually be sacrificing functionality. Substratum Consultants will work with you and the designers to make sure that both estetics and functionality meet in your project. A Content Writing company can also be brought in to make sure that what the text of the site is saying is what you are trying to get across to the end user.
7. Web Site Development: Now that the site LOOKS like it is supposed to, it is time to start making it WORK like it is supposed to. Substratum Consultants specializes in this part of the job, turning static websites into easily editable pages that can do almost anything you can imagine and be updated by your company without need to buy special software or learn web development lingo. Where with most websites every little change can cost you $$ and take weeks or more go up, we want the content of your page to be easily updated by your staff from any computer with an internet connection. This makes the difference between a site that people check back on because the content is always updated and a website that is the same every time you hit the page. Development work can also include interactive and data gathering aspects of the site, such as shopping carts and e-commerce.
8. Web Site Marketing: Without marketing your new site, how are people going to find it? Web Site Marketing is a complex and specialized field that will make the difference between your site being found and lost on the internet. Good Web Site Marketing companies will not only increase traffic to your site, but more importantly, increase the RIGHT traffic to your site.

 As you can see, a proper creation process is a long and complex task. We know how it works, and we can help it work for you.