Equestrian Web Technology

Discussions on the use of web and other technologies for the equestrian business.

February 17, 2018

PART 5: BE HONEST, WHAT IS THIS GOING TO COSTS ME?

Equestrian Web Technology, Website Programming

COST. The age old question of what does it cost and what do I get for that outgo. Skipping over the justifications of why you need a website, and money to value relationship is only something you, as a business owner can evaluate, this article is a straight up money evaluation. The most honest answer any web developer or do-it-yourself company can say is this…it depends.

If anyone gives you a flat fee, without knowing what your business is, what your goals are, who you want to reach and how broad you desire your reach to be, they are not being truthful with you.

At it’s essence, “Cost” aka Money, can be broken down into 3 areas:

Technology Costs
Development Cost
Monthly Cost

COST CONSIDERATIONS - THE TECHNOLOGY

The actual money required, is highly based on what company you use and their experience and technical qualifications. Dollar for dollar, not all developers are the same. The selection of such people will be discussed in our article of “How to Pick a Good Web Developer“.

Assuming that the developer is of equal calibare and integrity, the other primary area of cost consideration , is the type of technology to be used.

There are 4 popular methods: WordPress, Drupal, Joomla or custom development. Wordpress is the most famous and the most popular of all the platforms in the small to medium business web space, simply because there are thousands of developers, a whopping 50,000 available plugins and is available in over 57 different languages. As a result, there are over 64 million websites using this technology. This shear volume of sites and developers is what keeps the costs low.

For this cost discussion, we are going to use WordPress technology as a basis, simply because it is the most cost-effective custom website development tool on the market.

TECHNOLOGY COSTS

Technology costs are the items that allow the website to exist and operate.

DOMAIN NAME

$1-$50 Yearly

Style or Theme

$100-$500 Yearly

Plugins

Average $500 yearly.

Content Management

$0-$25,000 Yearly One Time

SSL Certificate

0-$1500 Yearly

DEVELOPMENT COSTS

Development is the process of designing the site. Creating all the images and building the backend structure that supports the display of the website across the many different platforms that exist in today internet market space.

Responsive Design

$1,000-$3,000 One Time

Pages (1 to 250 pages)

$500-$25,000 One Time

Social Media Setup

$500-$1500 One Time

Interactive Media Programming

$250-$25,000 One Time

Photo and Graphic Design

$1000-$25,000 One Time

Site Testing

$500-$5,000 One Time

MONTHLY COSTS

Once your website is up and launched, the work does not end. Technology is ever growing, changing and demanding. Hackers attempt to break in and even break your site, in a quest to steal information. Website Maintenance is used to backup your site and keep the plug-in operational as the internet makes demands of security and changes. This is not something you should do, leave it to technologist who know how to protect your information. Even if the hackers manage to get into you system, the backup is there to restore you quickly.

Website Hosting

$120-$5,000

Monthly Management

$1200-$12,000

SEO

$250-$5,000

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

$250-$3,000

THE GOOD NEWS! SMALL BUSINESS & EQUESTRIAN: THE REALITY

For a small business and equestrian related business, those numbers can be pretty scary. So here is the reality:

Most Small non-commerce business are under 10 pages
Most Small non-commerce business do not need heavy duty hosting
Most small non-commerce business can do their own social media.

What that means to your bottom line, is the costs to develop an online presence is as follows:

MMD SMALL BUSINESS/ EQUESTRIAN PACKAGE

Responsive Design

$250
Use of customized Template

Plugins

Average $299 yearly.

Pages (1 to 10 pages)

$500 (1-5 pages) $1000 (6-10 pages)

Photo and Graphic Design

$200 with supplied photos (one time)

Style or Theme

FREE when on Multimedia Designs Server

SSL Certificate

FREE on Multimedia Designs Server

Website Hosting (Small load sever)

$35 Monthly

Monthly Management
(keep the site working & make changes)

$100 – $250 monthly

Social Media Management

Do It Yourself option
(Post all those students. clients and show pictures!)

There you have it. The truth about what this really will cost you, with Multimedia Designs. You can have an online presence, customized to you, with your picture, show schedule and talents, OR present your small non-ecommence business for about: $1275.00

The monthly costs would range from : $135 to $285.
The yearly flat fee would be for the domain name and plugins. $224. Using only free plugins: $14 self pay.

These prices are using Multimedia Designs, server and tools. We also do, off-server work, but this adds to your overall costs for themes and hosting. You will be online, for the world to see just what your talent and services can do …even for those who don’t know you. Get ready to introduce yourself to the world.

You will be online, for the world to see just what your talent and services can do …even for those who don’t know you.

We would love to help!

Want more info?
Continue with our next article of PART 6: WALK ME THROUGH THIS

OTHER ARTICLES IN THE SERIES

PART 1: DON’T LET THE INTERNET BUCK YOU OFF
PART 2: MOAN, i NEED A WEBSITE! NOW WHAT?
PART 3: GREAT! MY STUDENT OR WIX CAN DO THIS. (OR NOT)
PART 4: BUT I DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH GEEKS!!
PART 5: BE HONEST, WHAT IS THIS GOING TO COSTS ME?
PART 6: WALK ME THROUGH THIS
PART 7: STRAIGHT DOWN THE CENTER LINE AND HALT. (aka HOW NOT TO GET CHEATED)
PART 8: ENTER THE COMPETITION. LAUNCHING A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE
PART 9: WEBSITE LAUNCHED! NOW WHAT?
PART 10: EXPLAIN THIS INTERNET THING TO ME … IN ENGLISH
PART 11: I AM A VET, FARRIER, BARN MANAGER. WEBSITES? COME ON, THEY NEED ME!

MultiMedia Designs, LLC
Digital Design & Technology Company
Office: +1.818.272.0819
Email: multimediadesignsllc@gmail.com

HONEST ANSWERS – GREAT PRICES

January 13, 2018

PART 4: BUT I DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH GEEKS!!

Equestrian Web Technology

They are a breed all unto themselves. Talking in bits and terms that seem to come from another planet. As an equestrian, or any non-technical business owner, working with a technologist can be outright frustrating and scary..after all how do they know what your world truly is, let alone your potential customers/clients.

The irony, they may or may not. It all depends on your patience and ability to explain with real words and not feelings, what you want. Geeks are guided by logic, not “you don’t like that”. The resulting inquiry will be…but why? Have an answer prepared.

The resulting inquiry will be…but why? Have an answer prepared.

Here’s a short list of tips, taken from my own personal experience as a geek that will help you interact with these big-brained Sheldon-look-alikes .

Techies are intrigued by problems so don’t mind spending hours on them. Know that going in.
Distract them with an interesting problem. If yours is unique, even better.
Geeks are guided by logic, not feelings. If you don’t like something the next thing out of their mouth will be “but why”. Have an answer prepared in the factual realm.
Having a prepared logical answer for why you want something will aid in your communication.
Everyone I know thinks geeks and nerds are computer experts and gifted teachers. They in turn think trying to teach friends to tech is like solving the Riemann Hypothesis. Don’t try any.
If s/he’s in the zone, leave the room; come back later.
While tech teachers can get your computer working, your printer spitting out paper, and you online despite ten error messages, there are days they need a dictionary to understand everyday English. Be gentle.
They can type and talk at the same time. Some even use two keyboards at once. Expect that.
Know the difference between the “happy-techie” face and the “go away” face. Act accordingly.
Their heads are like Matrix on steroids. Don’t try to understand them – unless, of course, you’re a geek too. Then, you’ll feel at home.
You can’t scare them, bully them or yell at them. They’re techies. Try kindness instead.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE, I JUST WANT A WEBSITE....

You are right of course, but if you are working with a technologically based web developer, knowing the language is a bit like knowing how to do a half-halt, rather essential to the process. It is essential to communicate your vision for your business.

THERE IS ANOTHER WAY.....

There is another way..find a equestrian who is also a geek who is also a designer! Your in luck, you just found one.

Multimedia Designs, LLC is founded and run by Equestrian Geeks that come from Walt Disney Imagineering.

Multimedia Designs, LLC is founded and run by Equestrian Geeks that come from Walt Disney Imagineering.

Skip the geek challenge and let us help you.

OTHER ARTICLES IN THE SERIES

MultiMedia Designs, LLC
Digital Design & Technology Company
Office: +1.818.272.0819
Email: multimediadesignsllc@gmail.com

HONEST ANSWERS – GREAT PRICES

December 13, 2017

PART 3: GREAT! MY STUDENT OR WIX CAN DO THIS. (OR NOT)

Equestrian Web Technology

Teens are wired. Technology is so integrated with teenagers’ lives that creating useful and usable websites and apps for them is more critical than ever. So why not let them design it for you? It is free. Your student will be thrilled. So why not?

As rough as it is to hear…your teenage riding student, niece or nephew or any other young family member, does not have one key element : PATIENCE. Websites are not longer simple. With over 200 different devices possible and the market leaning toward 70% mobile usage, website now have to be smart. A technological term called responsive. Each site adapts to the device it is being displayed upon.

With over 200 different devices possible and the market leaning toward 70% mobile usage, website now have to be smart.

Add to the challenge, that websites now have to be fast.

In simple English, the site has to be tested to work on all these devices and just work….especially for the equestrian world, who patience and understanding of technology borders on nothing. If it does not work, if it does not display quickly, older equestrian or the parent of your young potential student, will just give up trying.

I have seen this reaction over and over again. A potential client…gone, because the website did not do it’s job. It did not represent you well.

If it does not work, if it does not display quickly, older equestrian just give up.

SURELY WIX WILL WORK?

Yes WIX is cheap. Yes, WIX appears to be able to build a website fast…but does it work? Have you created a Wix website but noticed that you are getting no website visitors? Your thinking, as a equestrian business owner most likely would be “…see the internet just does not work!”

“…see the internet just does not work!”

Being the CEO of a web design company, a lot of clients ask me why you shouldn’t use Wix to create an affordable website. When you first check out these website builders, they seem like a pretty good deal. You pay an affordable price every month and get to have your very own website online.

BUT when you start digging deep into these websites, you see that they are not all they are cracked up to be. You end up with an ugly looking website that doesn’t bring in any customers or traffic. So what happened?

I always tell my clients that building a website is like building a house. It takes a team of people (all with specialty skills) to come together and build it. You need an technical designer, graphic artist, IT specialist and SEO specialist plus a writer to make those SEO codes work.

When you have to have the right set of codes, that will get the search engines attention. Put the wrong words, the wrong codes, too sophisticated language and the engines will not display your site in a high enough ranking, to get any attention at all.

This is called “readability” and as shocking as it sounds, the “readability” of pages, aka “Flesch Kincaid Grade level” is 8th grade education.

….as shocking as it sounds, the “readability” of pages, aka “Flesch Kincaid Grade level” is 8th grade education

When you build your website with platforms like Wix, you are trying to build a house all by yourself and it may end up looking decent on your computer, but it’s going to have a lot of structural issues. One of those structural issues we mentioned before….mobile usage.

WHERE WIX GOES WRONG....

1. Poor User Experience

Getting people interested in “you” and your service is the entire point of a website. Yet WIX is more closely related to a bulletin board on the freeway. People drive by and rarely pay attention. It is an electronic pamphlet. Not that is wrong, but unless the site looks unique, drags them into, keeping their attention longer than the 30 second norm and gives them something interesting to read,watch and dive deeper…call you, it is worthless.

2. Not Viewable on a mobile device

The biggest reason you should not use Wix to create your website is…it does not work on mobile devices. On a mobile device, WIX cuts off the pictures and does not present the page or information, as you intended it. The key element of “responsiveness” does not exist on that platform. So unless you are willing to give up 70% of the marketplace, WIX is not the direction to go.

2. Speed & Security

One of the most important parts of your website is speed and security. Having a fast website will increase user engagement and search engine optimization. Wix.com and other DIY ( Do it yourself) site-building websites host your website on a shared server with thousands of other users. This diminishes the speed of your own website will result in lost customers and bad user experience.

Having this many people on a single server is also dangerous security-wise. If someone were to hack one of these servers, it may compromise every customer hosted on that server.

3. Lack of SEO

Probably the single biggest problem with builder websites like Wix is that they are not SEO-friendly. SEO stands for search engine optimization and its the act or methodology of getting more visitors to your website from search engines (like Google). This includes on-page optimization as well as off-page optimization. Both of these are very necessary and equally important for getting more traffic to your website.

4. Not Unique

Wix currently has over 90 million users and 500 designer-made templates. Now, 500 may sound like a lot of pre-made templates but with over 90 million users these templates are going to get used a lot. That means that even though you may think your website looks pretty good, there are a lot of other people with that exact same template.

THE SOLUTION

This is where a professional website designer and developer steps in. These trained individuals know what makes a site work. They understand the different needs of a site beyond just the superficial appearances. They address the guts of a website, the portion not seen by humans, but highly important to the engine that makes the internet work.

Your young riding student, niece or nephew, does not the training, knowledge or patience, to get the job done. Both internally to the internet engine, but to make sure it works on a majority of the mobile devices.

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MultiMedia Designs, LLC
Digital Design & Technology Company
Office: +1.818.272.0819
Email: multimediadesignsllc@gmail.com

HONEST ANSWERS – GREAT PRICES

October 10, 2017

Part 2 : Moan, I Need A Website! Now What?

Equestrian Web Technology, Website Programming

You have done it! You have made the decision to get a website. Congratulations.

Of course the next steps can feel overwhelming. Let’s actually skip to the fun part, let’s think all about YOU!. Think of this as your own personal horse show, an interactive resume, in which you get to show off the best of who you are.

Better yet, YOU are the judge. The style or “look” of the site is totally up to you. It depends on what you like. No reliable and honest designer should ever tell you how you want to present yourself to the world. That is your call. They can make recommendations, however, ultimately it is you. All about you.

But first you need to answer a couple of questions. Knowing the answers to these questions a head of time, will make the development process much easier, get the results you need and save you money. It will make sure that your website becomes that virtual you.

“THE STEPS”

STEP 1: ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ASSUMPTIONS

What kind of students/clients are you looking for?
This is actually a key element. Do you want beginner riders? What age group? Would you like a barn full of hobbits or is your dream to have a competitive group with showing aspirations? Does a client need to have their own horse? Do you have school horses? There is no wrong answer.
What kind of trainer/instructor are you?
What levels are you showing? Are you more of a trainer or riding instructor? Are you formally educated? Do you like showing, breeding? Would you rather deal with horses or people? Is your perfect world a barn full of beginners, a few years along or rather experienced? Look at your own idea of perfection for yourself.
Are you comfortable with technology?
Are you the like to learn type or is this just something you have to do? Again, there is no wrong answer, but it is essential to being honest with yourself.
What are your favorite colors?

Why do I need to answer all these questions?

All of these questions are key components as to the type of website you need. It will guide a designer to a sets of websites designs that you will need to make your site successful. To represent “you”. Before a single layout is done, you must know what you want. The designer is going create a pictorial look that with one glance is going to tell a story. A story of you. Will it make you different from your competitors?

PICTURES? STORY TELLING…ME?
I can just write my qualification. Should that not be enough?

People Do Not Read.

Shocking? According to studies by the Nielsen Norman Group the average viewer will only read 20% of what is on a page, preferring to scan. Look at this paragraph below:

DOG WAITS FOR OWNER

In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, took Hachikō, a golden brown Akita, as a pet. Ueno would commute daily to work, and Hachikō would leave the house to greet him at the end of each day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued the daily routine until May 1925, when Ueno did not return. The professor had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, while he was giving a lecture, and died without ever returning to the train station in which Hachikō would wait.

Each day, for the next nine years, nine months and fifteen days, Hachikō awaited Ueno’s return, appearing precisely when the train was due at the station.

Hachikō attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachikō and Professor Ueno together each day. Initial reactions from the people, especially from those working at the station, were not necessarily friendly. However, after the first appearance of the article about him on October 4, 1932 in Asahi Shimbun, people started to bring Hachikō treats and food to nourish him during his wait.

Even with the direction of reading the paragraph; do you know what it said? Just read the title? Or did you just look at the pictures? This is scanning.

In the day and age of instant, most people simply do not have the patience to read UNLESS they want to know. The picture, told the story! Your website needs to tell a story. That will keep your potential clients, interested and lead them to the next phase of actual contact.

STEP 2: DIG OUT ALL YOUR BEST PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

This is just fun and will be needed for your website.

STEP 3: START LOOKING AT OTHER WEB PAGES

Any page. It does not have to be in your industry, just pages that appeal to you. You are going to need to give that list to your designer, so that they can get an idea of your taste in sites.

STEP 4: PICK OUT A DOMAIN NAME

This name should be something that represents your name or business and is distinct to you. We recommend
hover.com. Best register for the dollar with domain names for $13.95 a year, as of this writing, and many free services.

What is most important about this domain name is YOU MUST OWN IT! Never ever transfer your domain name over to a service or web developer unless you have a specific in writing agreement that YOU are the owner of the domain. We shall discuss more about this in the section about Not getting Cheated.

STEP 5: START LOOKING FOR A WEB DESIGNER

One word TRUST. Who do you trust with your name and digital reputation. The company or individual who can build your vision, now that you have an idea of what you want. Of course we are going to plug Multimedia Designs, especially when we give a FREE 1st consultation and would be delighted to walk you through the entire process. You can get yours by filling out the “REQUEST CONSULTATION” form or clicking here.

You are on your way to creating the perfect virtual you!

OTHER ARTICLES IN THE SERIES

MultiMedia Designs, LLC
Digital Design & Technology Company
Office: +1.818.272.0819
Email: multimediadesignsllc@gmail.com

HONEST ANSWERS – GREAT PRICES

blog don't let the internet buck you off

October 7, 2017

Don’t Let The Internet Buck you Off – Part I

Equestrian Web Technology

I am a professional equestrian. Why do I need a website?

Top Reasons Given
I work with horses and hay, not computers and email!
My work will get me clients…
I show a lot, I will find clients there.
I am in a well-known barn, clients will show up.
“Those people” speak some other language.
It is just not me.

YOU ARE RIGHT!

Your work and your horses will get you clients…
IF they know about you.

Step number 1 in any business is to get noticed. Traditionally this method has been by going to shows, doing good work with care, high turn-outs, being watched, but mostly word of mouth. However with the costs of showing ever increasing, fewer and fewer potential clients are venturing out, preferring to stick close to their barns and doing much of the care themselves. Veterinarians, Trainers, Boarding facilities, Farrier’s, Show Managers are all feeling the impact.

The new “word of mouth” is electronic, pictures and posts across social media networks that can be seen by thousands. You do well at a show, someone is going to post it. Your client wins a class, a picture of the proud rider and horse will be there. Success breeds conversation and for those potential clients that are looking for solutions, the internet is where they go. Safe, discreet and no one knows they are asking questions.

Opinion? The generational data, of your up and coming riders, have a interesting story: According to Pew Research, 97% for young adults (18-29 years) and 94% for the mid-lifers (30-49 years) look for their information on the internet. And that was in 2010. The Nielsen Reports , the leading research agency for consumer responses, adds another interesting set of stats.

Ok ….. What do these numbers have to do with me?

Everything.

These are the people that will grow and maintain your equestrian business. As attrition in the sport is natural, to be successful, to continue to do what you love, those clients need to be replaced with a younger, interested, income supplying generation. That generation is the 18-49 year olds (81%). They use social media to post questions and display their successes with their “friends”, many of which they have never personally meet. These “friends” are no longer limited to the school they go to, the business the work, the neighborhood they live in at or the family they associate with. This is the new “word of mouth”.

This new gossip system, even good gossip, is being spread digitally with pictures and posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, straight from their digital phones.

The result is, directly or indirectly, you are being looked at. This is were a website kicks in. It is the place where you can show your best and draw-in interested potential clients, even when you do not know they are looking at you. Facebook, Instagram, twitter, was just step one. Now you have their attention and what they want to know next is; Who Are You? They click on that website.

They are curious. Remember, YOU are a stranger to them, but you have some good gossip going.

So who are you?
What are your qualifications?
What does your facility look like?
What you do your clients think of you?
What is your success?
What is your training philosophy?
What is your style?
Do you do clinics?
What is your schedule?

Ultimately they are wanting to know what YOU can do for them. Yes, this is all about them.

This experience has all the features of a on-site visit …. done in cyber space. No drama. No trainer to offend. No uncomfortable stress. No office hours. Just curiosity. Do you have something better than what they have now? If the site is not there, the interest wanes and leaves a negative impression. If the site does not answer their questions, the potential relationship ends..next post.

This is the virtual “you”. Open 24/7. You are being reviewed….from a far.

OTHER ARTICLES IN THE SERIES

PART 2: MOAN, i NEED A WEBSITE! NOW WHAT?
PART 3: GREAT! MY STUDENT OR WIX CAN DO THIS. (OR NOT)
PART 4: BUT I DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH GEEKS!!
PART 5: BE HONEST, WHAT IS THIS GOING TO COSTS ME?
PART 6: WALK ME THROUGH THIS
PART 7: STRAIGHT DOWN THE CENTER LINE AND HALT. (aka HOW NOT TO GET CHEATED)
PART 8: ENTER THE COMPETITION. LAUNCHING A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE
PART 9: WEBSITE LAUNCHED! NOW WHAT?
PART 10: EXPLAIN THIS INTERNET THING TO ME … IN ENGLISH
PART 11: I AM A VET, FARRIER, BARN MANAGER. WEBSITES? COME ON, THEY NEED ME!

MultiMedia Designs, LLC
Digital Design & Technology Company
Office: +1.818.272.0819
Email: multimediadesignsllc@gmail.com

HONEST ANSWERS – GREAT PRICES

Equestrian Web Technology

PART 5: BE HONEST, WHAT IS THIS GOING TO COSTS ME?

COST CONSIDERATIONS - THE TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY COSTS

DEVELOPMENT COSTS

MONTHLY COSTS

THE GOOD NEWS! SMALL BUSINESS & EQUESTRIAN: THE REALITY

MMD SMALL BUSINESS/ EQUESTRIAN PACKAGE

PART 4: BUT I DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH GEEKS!!

BUT WAIT A MINUTE, I JUST WANT A WEBSITE....

THERE IS ANOTHER WAY.....

Skip the geek challenge and let us help you.

PART 3: GREAT! MY STUDENT OR WIX CAN DO THIS. (OR NOT)

SURELY WIX WILL WORK?

WHERE WIX GOES WRONG....

1. Poor User Experience

2. Not Viewable on a mobile device

2. Speed & Security

3. Lack of SEO

4. Not Unique

THE SOLUTION

Part 2 : Moan, I Need A Website! Now What?

“THE STEPS”

STEP 1: ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ASSUMPTIONS

Why do I need to answer all these questions?

PICTURES? STORY TELLING…ME? I can just write my qualification. Should that not be enough?

DOG WAITS FOR OWNER

STEP 2: DIG OUT ALL YOUR BEST PHOTOS AND VIDEOS

STEP 3: START LOOKING AT OTHER WEB PAGES

STEP 4: PICK OUT A DOMAIN NAME

STEP 5: START LOOKING FOR A WEB DESIGNER

Don’t Let The Internet Buck you Off – Part I

I am a professional equestrian. Why do I need a website?

YOU ARE RIGHT!

Your work and your horses will get you clients… IF they know about you.

Ok ….. What do these numbers have to do with me?

Everything.

PICTURES? STORY TELLING…ME?
I can just write my qualification. Should that not be enough?

Your work and your horses will get you clients…
IF they know about you.