Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I go to a web designer?
If you have great products and services and want to make sure that they get presented clearly. Electronic Image Consultants' web designers are able to portray you and your business in a way that will make you stand out from everyone else. We can help you communicate your image to the world with either a simple design, or one that is more elaborate. In a world where people don't take the time to read ads unless something visibly stands out, we can create the appropriate graphics and images that will grab the attention of your visitors.

Why should I hire a web designer?
Time is precious; the amount of it needed to perfect your website is extensive. Leave the work to our expert designers while you concentrate on other aspects of your business. Our designers make the statement for your site that you want to make; we can create a stylish, sophisticated, polished website for you at a reasonable price. Like any other designer, we are selling an image- your image. Your website's design will reflect the quality of your products and services; it is responsible for creating the impression that you will make on people. Our designers can create an image that will speak to the heart of what your company, services, and products are about, and will allow your site visitors to remember you in a positive way.

What can a designer do for me?
A designer can enhance the quality of your communication and productivity. The designer will work with you personally to uncover your own needs and goals. First the designer will lay the groundwork for your site, developing design concepts that are aesthetically appropriate and practical. The designer will then expand and present the final design proposals, and assess design solutions after completion.

Why are designers priced so highly?
Many people are under the impression that designers use an easy program and are able to easily whip out a new site or project in less than twenty minutes. In reality, designers have long to-do lists for every client. From researching your competition, to examining design trends for the field you're in, to creating dozens of possible designs before refining them to the few that they'll show you, designers only make it look easy. Good designers will know immediately how to choose the final design and usually will do it; part of their job is to be able to make decisions on designs that will communicate your services effectively. Because so many clients only see the finished product, it often mistakenly appears to them that finding the perfect design for each customer is only as long as a lunch hour.

What is the hardest part about being a designer?
First, the designer must understand the client's idea, and the goals and expectations for it. The hardest part is figuring out an effective method for communicating abstract information in a manner that will be easily understood by others. Good designers specialize in translating technical ideas and abstract concepts into easily understandable terms.

After a designer creates an image, can I do whatever I want with it?
When our designers craft an image for you, it is yours to use, though we would be happy to consult with you about any other uses you may have for the image so that we may retain the quality of that image. For example, if our designers create an image made for use on the web, and at some point you decide you might like to use it in print, we can provide you with a high-resolution image that is best for printing when it is available.

Can I hire someone else to change EIC®'s design?
When you've had the same design for a long time, of course you'll want to update and/or alter it so that it continues to change with your business and communicate your products accurately. It's always more efficient to have our designers work with you to update the image so that it appears the way you want it to. If you'd like to hire someone to maintain the images we create for you, it's best to have them recreate the images entirely so no one will confuse their design with ours.

Why is it important for me to have my business card or website logo custom designed?
People are more apt to remember images than text; text requires a lot of thought and takes a certain amount of time to decipher. Images are processed quickly in the mind and retained for longer periods of time. A good logo can communicate a lot of information in just a small amount of space. Text doesn't have the same marketing impact as a logo; if you think of all the big brand names constantly being flashed across your television set, odds are that you'll remember their logo but not the wording underneath it. Notice that when companies market themselves through advertising such as brochures, billboards, business cards, or websites, the logo is used as a powerful PR tool that heightens credibility, reinforces presence in the field, and promotes sales. Your logo represents your company. Let it speak to the ability, vision, and core of your business.

If most of my business is done on the web, do I still need a business card?
Yes. Business cards serve to identify you and reinforce your company's presence. Some people use things like coffee mugs, pens and other tools with their logo and information, but items like that are commonly lost or left at the office or in one's car. Business cards are easily kept in a wallet or business card holder. They can be sent along with all your correspondence, given to family and friends so that they may distribute them to others, and handed out to the people you see on a regular basis. Getting your business card into circulation is the primary way of identifying yourself and letting people know what you do. Since most people look at a business card for an average of one second, your card should be simple and clean; the attention should immediately be drawn to the logo, then your contact information. If you relocate frequently, make sure that your business cards have your domain name on them, as well as your permanent email address.

Why can't I just go to the print shop myself to get business cards made?
While print shops are printing specialists, designers are design experts. Very few printing shops have designers on site to assist you, and most of them just take the image that your own designer already created and turn it into a printed copy. No attention is paid to your logo or design and whether or not it communicates your company's produces and services properly; print shop designers are simply there to print what you tell them to print. At a print shop you won't have a designer working with you one-on-one to help you determine factors like what media is best for your company's individual needs, what costs are involved, what inks work best, and much more. All of these factors can easily be covered by one of our designers; it's all part of tailoring your business cards to suit your company's own needs.

Why can't I save money by just purchasing some software and a sheet of cards for my printer instead of going to a designer?
There are many different ways to create business cards. For less than twenty dollars you can have basic cards printed. For one to two hundred dollars you can have multi-color cards made into different shapes using different materials. It all depends on what will actually save you money. If investing in your image will get you that extra business or that last client, it's worth it to make sure that your image is conveying the appropriate message to your clientele. That's where the designer comes in. Our designers are skilled in knowing how images are perceived, and well versed in how to take your images and turn them into exactly what your business needs. Instead of having to hunt for what you're looking for, you'll actually save time and money by going to one of our designers who will know precisely what you want and can steer you in that direction.

I have a small business and would like to start building a website. What are the first few things a designer will do?
A designer will start by laying the groundwork for things like a company brochure, a company logo, and other marketing items that communicate your products and services to the world.

Why should I hire a designer to build a website?
Simply put, a designer will save you time and money. Our designers are geared to know how users will react to your site and what their experience will be like, how your site will work on the web and how people will find you. They know how to combine performance with content, and are skilled in placing graphics and imagery in such a way that will make users enjoy visiting your site. Your website should be a place to promote your products and services, a place that once people visit, they won't click the 'back' button on their browser. Our designers' knowledge in hosting plans, technical aspects, and other details will give you the opportunity to sit back, relax, and watch as the optimum website for your company is created.

Can I start with about eight or nine pages and add onto the website later?
Yes. After your website has been built, your designer will work with you to incorporate additional ideas.

Can you help me make my existing website look more professional?
Yes. By working closely with you and finding out your goals and expectations, we can design the site so that it not only appears more professional, but so that it also conveys an appropriate message for your business. We can add things like shopping carts, search functionality, and content. Let us know what you like on the current site and what you want to improve. Decide what you want on the site, what you want to accomplish, and what you want it to look like. Arrange your ideas by topic. If you have a website that you admire, save the URL address so that we can examine their techniques.

I hear the terms 'web design' and 'web maintenance' a lot. What's the difference between the two?
The web design is the initial creation and building of the site. Web maintenance is the updating and refreshing of content on the site.

What are some websites that are very profitable right now?
Among the hugely profitable websites are Google.com, Amazon.com, and Yahoo.com. Using some of the techniques of these websites as models is sometimes appropriate, depending on what you're looking for on your own site.

Why aren't people buying from my website?
One of the top reasons that people are deterred from buying from a website is slow loading time. People have short attention spans and little time on their hands. Websites like Amazon.com and eBay.com are designed specifically to get their visitors to make a purchase. They are simple, explanatory, and load quickly. They lack flash, animation, and other graphics that distract from the end goal. Poor design is another main reason that people decide to buy elsewhere. If the "buy" button is not easily viewable, or if people have to click a lot of times to make a purchase, they'll most likely go to another site. Ask yourself honestly if you would buy from your site. Is it fast? Is it efficient? Do people know that their credit card information is protected? If you've answered no to any of these questions, you need to rebuild that aspect of your site to gain optimum sales.

How do I get people to my site in the first place?
Believe it or not, word-of-mouth is still the most common method of finding people, even today. People respect the opinions of their friends and acquaintances when it comes to locating people and businesses. As far as internet resources go, the search engine you'll want most to publicize your site is Google.com.

How do I make my site search engine friendly?
Our development team can assist you in search engine marketing. Contact us for further details.

Why should I hire Electronic Image Consultants?
Electronic Image Consultants specializes in enhancing your company's image. We create professional interactive websites, supply web hosting, and offer other strategies to promote the growth of your business. We can also design logos, business cards and other advertising tools that are crucial for the successful marketing of your company. With an exceptional design team and our own logo designers in-house, we will excel at promoting your products and services through design that communicates every aspect of your business succinctly.