Step One: The Domain

The domain is a name, a separate and special name on the world wide web which you can reserve for your site and your site alone. This enables you to choose a web address which is useful to you either because it is highly memorable or describes your business, or, ideally, ...both. There are two options in this situation, each suits different needs. It is up to you to decide which is most appropriate for your business's image and budget.

Domain name registration is done by a third party known as a registrar. The domain name is paid for in an agreement which typically lasts for two years. This will give you a domain name such as www.nnorth.com, www.download.com, www.wired.com.

Option 1: We can facilitate this purchase and setup for you as part of the commercial package. Cost of domain registration and setup currently fluctuates due to deregulation and increasing competition in this field; we will inform you of this cost during one of our first discussions. In addition, a one-time locating fee of, typically, U.S.$25 is charged by the web hosting company (hosting will be discussed in the next section).

Option 2: Domain name parking is a different approach which is less costly, but may not offer the same image. This solution will take a name you choose, and place (park) it in front of the MetaMage domain name (www.mmage.com) resulting in "yourname.mmage.com". A common variation consists of placing (parking) behind the host name, resulting in "mmage.com/yourname". Neither parking option involves a registrar company, therefore less cost arises. Our one-time fee to initiate this service is $35.

Step Two: Web Hosting

Your domain name has to be located on the world wide web. To do this we make a rental contract with a web host who will agree to house your site. We make this arrangement with the web host for you. For this service there is an initial fee of $99.85 which includes a setup fee of $25, and your first quarter year of hosting. Each subsequent quarter costs $74.85, (3 months @ $24.95) payable on the 15th of the month prior to the start of the quarter.

Step Three: Web Site Design

Several criteria must be satisfied in order to make a useful commercial site. The site must be quick-loading, efficient, and navigable. We have developed the following as a general package for commercial use.

Commercial Web Design: Your commercial web site will contain 5 pages. Think of a page as one screenful of data (at 800x600 resolution). Think of your site as a small house. Visitors enter through the front door; they then proceed to the relevant rooms and examine the contents. One of the rooms allows them to find out more about their hosts. Contact, including E-mail, allows them to communicate their wishes.

Your "front door page" or home page might include :

a. welcoming text message and links to the rest of the site.

b. logo as supplied by you;

c. a picture, e.g. your storefront or some such item;

d. the necessary navigation buttons.

Your "about" page typically includes:

a. an "about" section with pictures and explanatory text;

b. contact information including an e-mail link.

Your three remaining pages might include:

a. your product or service;

b. text as supplied by you;

c. pictures as supplied by you ( thumbnails enlarge at no extra cost);

All pages will be set in foreground/background co-ordinating color scheme, preferably utilizing your company's colours.

On completion of your site at this level, you will have:

• a navigable display of your product or services,

• a device for visitors to make inquiry or give feedback, all accessible to the consumer who has been directed to your web address (URL).

Your site also includes up to 10 metatags (see below). Submission to the top *search engines is available at extra charge as it involves third-party fees.

Pricing: Commercial Package as above, $114.95. Additional pages: $24.95/pg.

Website Promotion: As noted above, your standard level commercial site is accessible to those who have the URL. However, you may wish to augment written or spoken communication of your URL by including it in locator devices known as *search engines. These locators classify sites according to key words known as meta tags. The major search engines are accessible to you for a one-time-only fee. Currently there are well over 900 search engines. New fees are constantly being negotiated .

'Meta Tags' for your site: Meta tags are the keywords that search engines use when organizing sites( e.g. "lakefront" "muskoka" "cottages" "recreation" "Algonquin" "advertising" ). They are the key to getting your site located and seen. The rate of success for people locating your site varies directly as the number of useful metatags employed.

The standard commercial site package gives you ten metatags. Additional metatags (supplied by you) can be entered to increase the power of your search engine investment, at the rate of $3/tag.

Site maintenance: You will want to keep your site current. We suggest that a site be updated every quarter and that a major revision be done annually (not necessarily in January!). We will make changes within the existing pages of your site with data supplied by you for a small additional cost as outlined below.

Picture addition or substitution within available page space, $5.

Text addition or substitution (as above) $2.

Please note that the content of your site is your responsibility. If you choose to increase your number of pages and not employ them, there can be no refund for the unused space or the unused time.

Technical Features: " extras" you may wish to add or substitute.

Graphics: Logos: custom logo design fee: $50 per item.

Banners: Animated: $25 ea.; Non-Animated: $15 ea. (Your artwork)

Buttons: $2 ea.(Your artwork)

Tutorials: although we are outlining features of the commercial website, it may be occasionally necessary to increase a client's competence with information technology. The customary fee for tutorial time for purchasers of our sites is $15/hour, with one initial hour of in-service (if necessary at time of delivery) at no charge as part of the package.

Troubleshooting: occasionally it is necessary to troubleshoot problems in a system. Our customary fee for this service is $20/hour plus travel expense.

Ghostwriting: a service available for clients who wish to have text composed which will package the essential message within a particular style. The customary fee for this service is $50 per page displayed, plus graphics fees if applicable.

Several consultations are expected and welcomed.