Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to set up a web site?
There are normally three different costs in setting up a web site: the initial fee to develop the site, the InterNIC domain name registration fee, and the hosting fee. Web Site Development, Web Hosting, and Domain Names are explained more in detail below.

Web sites come in "all shapes and sizes". The price varies with the level of complexity. Since the internet is a very inexpensive way of getting exposure for your company, most companies start with a web site that, in essence, puts some of the company's sales literature on the internet. We typically charge a onetime fee of $599 to develop these type of web sites. The ongoing fees are $25 per month ($300 per year) for web hosting, and $3 per month ($35 per year) for the domain name registration. We charge a onetime fee of $5 to initially register the domain name. This brings the total costs for the first year to $939 and $335 per year thereafter. As a web site become more complex, the cost increases accordingly. The key component is the labor cost. As the development time increases, the cost also increases.

When "shopping for price", in many cases, it may not be easy to compare each of these individual costs. Some companies break the development into several different items, each with a different cost. Be sure to verify that you have included all three of the web site costs. Also verify which fees are onetime (or "set up") fees, and which are recurring costs. Also be sure to verify if there is a "minimum term contract", for example a two year commitment.

Why do I need Web Hosting?
Web hosting means your web site is connected to the world wide web 24/7, and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. While many people have internet access from their home or office, typically these connections cannot be used to host a web site. Additional software and special equipment is needed. Web sites cannot be hosting on machines through a dial-up connection; the computer must always be turned on and connected in order for your web site to be viewed anytime of the day or night.

How is the web site developed?
Our fee for setting up a professionally designed e-commerce web site starts at $599 (onetime charge). This is your web site, with your "home page" and reflects your company's image. In addition to a custom home page, it also includes a "contacts page", and an "about us" page.
We do all the work of setting up the web site. We get most of the information from you. This includes information about your company, where your store(s) are located, your hours of operation, etc. We look forward to your input. Please tell us the things that you feel set your company apart from other companies; we will include them on your web site. If you have pictures, such as the the outside or inside of your store, or anything else that you would like on the web site, we'll include as much as possible.

Do I need to have or learn any special software?
When we design a web site for you, we do everything for you; you don't need to have or learn any special software. If you develop your own web site, word processing and graphic design software tools are helpful in creating content for your web site but are not essential. You may simply use software such as Word Pad or Note Pad which come standard with Windows. In addition, you will need a connection to the Internet and a browser, such as Netscape or Internet Explorer, which allows you to view graphics on the World Wide Web.

Is there a limit on the amount of text I can place on a web page?
It is not good practice to place text on one web page that would exceed 8 typewritten pages. Please contact Technical Support if you plan to publish web pages that contain more than this. We will make every effort to accommodate your special needs.

Will I have any advertising on my site or be part of an electronic mall?
Your web site will not be associated with a directory or a mall, but will be a completely stand-alone professional business web site. American Business Computers will not place any advertising on your web site whatsoever. No advertising, other than what you choose to add yourself, will appear on your web site. However, a coppyright notice or advertising may be added by a third party if you choose to add features to your web site, such as a map generated by a third party. In all cases, the decision of whether to add any advertising will be yours.

Can I add hot links on my web site?
Yes, as many as you like.

Are there any limits to the type of content that I may display on my web site?
American Business Computers will not provide services to businesses or individuals that display pornographic material or that promote or provide instructional information about illegal activities, information that advocates or which might lead to physical harm to any group or individual, or cruelty to animals. You also may not display information that is related to pyramid or Ponzi schemes, lotteries, gambling, sweepstakes, raffles, or contests of any type.

Can I add graphics and images to my web site?
If you have one or more hard-copy images or photographs which you would like to include on your web site, we will scan your pictures and return the originals back to you. If you have digital pictures, the two main standard file formats that can be used for internet images are gif and jpeg. Many graphic programs allow you to convert other formats to these formats. Each page may contain one or more images.

Are there any additional fees to update the content of my web site?
Assuming we've developed the web site for you, and depending of the web hosting package you have selected, we will make certain changes for free. For example, we will change a price on your e-commerce web site, add a special "sale" tag, delete a product, or move a product from one category to another. Just call our toll free number (1-888-ABWEB10) and talk with one of our web specialists.

We will add a new product to your web site for only $6.00. This includes scanning a picture (or using a digital picture which you provide), producing a full size image for your web site, creating a "thumb nail" picture and adding it to the product category of your choice. We will also add a product description, a list price, a sale price, a "sale" banner, all as part of this price.

How much data transfer can I expect for my web site?
The amount of data transfer that your web site will experience depends on the frequency and number of visitors to your web site as well as the size of the files being transferred. Graphics on web pages make file sizes larger and, consequently, data transfers are larger. An average web page is usually about 8 kb plus 40 kb for each graphic (or picture) on the page. A megabyte (MB) is slightly more than 1000 kb.

It is our belief that 250 to 500 MB/month is more than enough data transfer for most web sites. Depending on the quantity and size of your files, 250 MB could easily support hundreds of hits per day.

What are the charges if I go over the data transfer limit?
If you go over our transfer allowance in one month, American Business Computers will add a charge of just 3 cents per megabyte per month.

What is a domain name?
A domain name, e.g., www.xyz.com, is a unique name for a web site that has an exclusive IP address. An IP address is a series of numbers used by a computer when attempting to locate a web site on the World Wide Web. This IP address is usually associated with a set of letters, such as xyz.com, designed to make it easy to use and remember. Domain names may not be duplicated. Note that www.x-yz.com and www.xyz.com are not identical and are, therefore, different domain names. All domain names must be registered with the InterNIC.

How do I get a domain name?
All domain names must be registered with the InterNIC and must be a unique name which is not in use by anyone else. Call our toll free number (1-888-ABWEB10) and talk with one of our web specialists. We can check if the name you want is available. We charge $40 to register a new domain name, which is for the year. Thereafter, there is an annual fee of $35. The web site will be reqistered in your name and you will be the owner of the domain name. You will receive an invoice from InterNIC prior to the end of the one year. If you don't pay this invoice, you will lose the domain name and someone else will be able to register and use your domain name. You maintain rights to your domain name for as long as you continue to pay the annual fee.

What is a sub-domain?
A sub-domain is similar to a directory under a primary domain name. For example, if there is a domain name called "www.hostname.com" a sub-domain name might be called "www.hostname.com/~yourcompany/" or www.yourcompany.hostname.com. There can be multiple sub-domains under a domain name, but the sub-domain name cannot be used by itself to find a web site, for example, www.yourcompany.com, because it does not have its own IP address.

Do I need an Internet connection to have a web site?
No. American Business Computers stores all the information for your web site on our web server, which is continuously connected to the Internet. It is available for viewing by visitors 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether or not you have a connection to the Internet.

Can I connect to the Internet through American Business Computers?
No, we do not provide dial-up access to the Internet- we only provide hosting services. You will need to contact a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) in order to connect to the Internet.

How do I collect information from visitors?
Our Executive Web Site Hosting Package includes the design of a form to collect information that you specify from visitors to your site. We will set up a Microsoft Access ® database to store this information for you which can be downloaded from our web site as frequently as you like.

How much information can I collect?
If you choose the Executive Web Site Hosting Package, you may collect up to 50 discrete pieces of information. A discrete piece of information is defined as alphanumeric data that may be stored in a single field in a database. A database field is similar to a column of information in a spreadsheet.

Can I make files available for download by visitors to my site?
Yes. Although this feature is not available with the standard hosting packages, American Business Web can enable anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol) for your web site for an additional fee. Contact technical support for details.