digitAfrica Logo

Web Design FAQs

Questions

From the list below choose one of our FAQs topics, then select an FAQ to read. If you have a question which is not in this section, please contact us.

These FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) attempt to address various questions regarding web design and hosting that have been posed to us over the years. While it is not intended to be a technical guide, references are given throughout the FAQ for those that would like additional, detailed information. Also, there is no guarantee that all that is in here is completely accurate (we're human!).

If you do see an item that needs correction, or if you have any additional questions that you think should be added to this FAQ, please contact us directly. Hopefully, this FAQ site can help answer some of the questions that you may have.

Do you offer consulting?

Yes we do. Our Free Initial consultation is to understand your company and your project. In addition, we also offer more in-depth consultations for a fee to those companies that need help in formulating their e-strategy.

Can I obtain Statistical Data?

Webalizer gives you the ability to track what domains are accessing your web site, how many visitors you are getting, search terms used, how much data is being transferred and much more. Web-based access to Webalizer statistics is available on all webhosting packages.

Can I upgrade my hosting plan at any time?

Yes, you can upgrade your account at anytime to meet your new business requirements or increase in business. Our support personnel will gladly work with you to meet all of your website hosting needs.

Do I need to buy a domain name and hosting?

No, we do everything for you.

Do I need to pay a deposit for the work?

Yes we generally ask for a 70% deposit from clients.

Do you offer e-commerce packages?

Yes we do, from shopping carts to customised information sharing. We also offer secure merchant gateways to transact business in real time with automated fulfilment. Our E-commerce packages can handle any type of electronic processing from credit cards to checks and other electronic transfers.

Do you transfer files to my website or do I?

Files can be transferred to your web site by our staff or by yourself, using FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

How long does it take for a design to be completed?

The timescale of a project is generally dictated by the client. If you have a deadline in mind we will endeavour to meet it for you. The most common delay in the creation of a site is waiting for content (text/images) to be sent to us by the client.

How can I transfer my existing site over to your servers?

Simply contact our sales department or place an order for one of our web hosting packages. Our support staff will then do all of the work for you. We want you to concentrate on what you do best - growing your business.

I would like you to design my site, what is the process?

If you would like to use our services all you need to do is contact us for an appointment with one of our sales executives. Give us a brief idea of your requirements and then based on your guidance, we''ll design an initial web page for you. We will then need you to forward content and images for your site and start to design the website for you. This is then refined/changed in consultation with the you until a satisfactory design has been reached.

Web Page Design - What is Included?

Each web page designed is of the highest quality. Unlike a printed page, there are no real dimensions for a web page.You may get more information on a page if there is mainly text or less information if graphics are included. Too many graphics on a page may take longer to load and in the long run, frustrating your target customer. We try to design web pages that are quick to load and easy to read for your target audience. Each Web Site will use a common color scheme, page banner and navigation buttons. We will work with you to give you ideas on content and layout. We code and test each web page for performance and readability. You will see progress of your pages being developed on our test server so you can feel confident of look and feel prior to launch to your site.

What is FTP?

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a method of transferring files (web pages for example) from your local PC to your web server. There are a variety of free ftp software programs available on the Internet and they enable you to update your website pages at any given time. When a hosting package is purchased ''ftp details'', consisting of the host name, User ID and password are sent to us. Upon completion of the website and receipt of payment for any work carried out, we then send these details to the client.

What platform or operating system does digitAfrica use?

Our servers run the Apache Web server on a Linux/UNIX platform.

Why Should I Hire a Web Design Professional?

With the advent of do-it-yourself HTML software, it is relatively simple for anyone to create a functional web site. We all know someone who designs web sites as a sideline using DIY web design software. This also explains why there are so many badly designed web sites - if someone has a paintbrush, it doesn't make them Van Gogh! Web Design is a unique design medium and requires extensive knowledge in designing graphics specifically for the Internet. The optimization of each page for the search engines is ongoing since all of the search engines change their algorithms and indexing methods constantly, requiring a great deal of continuous education. Properly marketing a site online continues long after the launch of the site and, again, online promotion requires a lot of time, of which you might have very little to spare!

What is Data Transfer?

In general, any outward bound traffic from a web site is considered to be data transfer. Every time a person visits your website every web page, image, midi file, mp3, pdf, quicktime video and other related files are viewed, data transfer is generated. Our web hosting packages include a generous amount of free data transfer which should be more than enough for most sites. Additional data transfer beyond the threshold of most sites can be purchased at a relatively small charge to support the increased traffic.

Contact Us