Space Coast Interactive -- Our Services

Posted Tue, 04/28/2009 - 15:44 by sci_admin

Design & Build Dynamic Websites

Content Management System (CMS) Setup and Configuration

Space Coast Interactive recommends sites built on a modern Open-source Content Management System (CMS). CMSs have many benefits, including the ability to update your own content, tight security, ease in controlling users and the ability to grow your site over time at lower cost. The following is a list of steps required to set up a Drupal based Website. Other content management systems are available including Wordpress, Joomla!, and phpNuke to name a few.

Site Folders - 0.25 hrs
Configure vhost, .htaccess and php.ini files - 0.5 hrs
Download Drupal Core Files - 0.5 hrs
Download Drupal Modules - 1.0 hrs
Install Drupal Database - 0.25 hrs
Install Drupal Theme - 0.25 hrs
Set up Administration User and Permissions - 0.25 hrs
Configure Site Information, Date, Time - 0.25 hrs
Configure Drupal Modules - 1.0 hrs
Configure and Test Clean URLs/AutoPath - 0.5 hrs
Configure Site Theme - 0.5 hrs
Initial Configuration of Contact Us Form - 0.25 hrs
Configure Error Pages - 0.25 hrs
Create Mollom Account and Configure Mollom - 0.5 hrs
Configure Cron - 0.25 hrs

Typical Project Time: 6.5 hours

Website Theme Design and Templating

The design of a Website using a CMS is called a theme. The theme is a collection of files that define the presentation layer or "look and feel" of a Website. A theme specifies both the underlying page structure (the regions of a browser page where content can be placed), the cascading style sheets (CSS) that control fonts, colors, etc. and possibly JavaScript (commonly used to create dynamic page elements). While theme design is very subjective in nature, all themes undergo a process of development as follows:

Requirements Interview/Site Questionnaire - 2.0 hrs
Develop Site Structure - 1.0 hrs
Design Theme Concept/Changes - 4.0 hrs
Develop PSD File - 8.0 hrs
Cut and Optimize Image Files - 4.0 hrs
Code CSS File - 4.0 hrs
Develop Template Files - 4.0 hrs
Upload and Configure Theme Files - 1.0 hrs
Test and Tweak Files - 2.0 hrs

Typical Project Time: 30 hours

Basic Dynamic Website Build

Once the CMS is installed and the theme is designed and configured, it's time to integrate contents of the Website. Website content and the pages involved can vary. Beyond text and images, content may be delivered as video, audio, and Flash files. We use the following steps as an example of a 'typical' Website build with 'static' content made up of text and images.

Configure Home Page (w/ jQuery & Blocks) - 4.0 hrs
Configure About Us - 1.0 hrs
Configure Services/Products - 1.0 hrs
Configure Misc./FAQ Page - 1.0 hrs
Configure News/Press Release Section - 1.0 hrs
Contact Us - 1.0 hrs
Configure Menus - 1.0 hrs

Typical Project Time: 10-15 hours

Site Build Options

To dazzle users and keep them coming back for more, consider adding Photo Galleries, Video or Audio content. Other enhancements might include calendars, advertising banners, or Tooltip Popups. These Web 2.0 widgets help to enhance the user experience and generate more traffic.

Photo Gallery (Imagecache, Lightbox2, Gallery Page, Upload Images) - 4.0 hrs
Feed Aggregator - 2.0 hrs
Basic Video (Conversion, Upload, Configure SWF, Page Embed Code) - 4.0 hrs
Video Library (1-6 videos) - 8.0 hrs
Calendar and Events - 4.0 hrs
Advertising Banner Blocks (2) - 2.0 hrs
Scrollable Content Block - 4.0 hrs
Tabbed-based Content Sections - 2.0 hrs
Tooltip Popups - 1.0 hrs

Hosting, Search Engine Optimization, Reporting Site Analytics

Web Server and E-mail Hosting Setup

Space Coast Interactive recommends hosting with our affiliate hosting company, Crucial Paradigm, for the best in high performance Web serving. We can also set up your Website with the Web Host of your choice. For dynamic Websites with proper administration access, control and security, we follow these steps:

Set up Host Account and Access - 1.0 hrs
Request Domain Move - 0.5 hrs
Set up Host FTP - 1.0 hrs
Run Drupal Install - 0.5 hrs
Set up Administration User and Permissions - 0.25 hrs
Configure Site Information, Date, Time - 0.25 hrs
Configure Host .htaccess, php.ini and settings.php file - 0.5 hrs
Change and Test Links - 1.0 hrs
Configure Cron - 1.0 hrs
Configure and Add Mail Accounts (as needed) - 1.0 hrs

Typical Project Time: 6-7 hours

Search Engine Optimization & Site Analytics

Basic Search Engine Optimization tactics are needed for all Websites to be listed properly and enhance the ranking of key search terms. While SEO techniques can include a myriad of steps, we feel the core basis for a solid initial SEO foundation can be completed with the following steps:

Develop Description and Keyword Master - 2.0 hrs
Page Titles - 1.0 hrs
Description Meta Tags - 1.0 hrs
Keyword Meta Tags - 2.0 hrs
Keywords in Text - 2.0 hrs
Code Sitemap and Robots.txt File - 2.0 hrs
Establish Google Site Analytics Account - 0.5 hrs
Configure Google Analytics Code - 1.5 hrs
Register Site with Top 10 Search Engines - 3.0 hrs
Establish Yahoo! Basic Search Account - 1.0 hrs

Typical Project Time: 16 hours

Monthly Site Maintenance and Web Traffic/Analytics Reports

Crucial to evaluating site performance is good data regarding both aggregate site visitation as well as segments of users. In addition, it's good to know how people are finding you, where they're coming from, and the key words and phrases being used to find your Website. Keeping your site security up to date as well as planning for content updating is a wise strategy for maximum performance.

Security Updates - 1.0 hrs
Module Updates - 1.0 hrs
Google Analytics Report and Analysis - 2.0 hrs
Web Traffic Report and Analysis - 2.0 hrs
4 Hours of Site Content Updates - 4.0 hrs

Monthly Maintenance: 10 hours

E-commerce, Membership Sites and Web Applications

E-Commerce Setup - Product Catalog/Cart/Checkout/Gateway

Space Coast Interactive specializes in E-commerce. Typically we install Zen Cart and/or use Pay Pal development tools to develop online stores, shopping carts, product databases and reporting. Here are the steps we take to develop a solid E-commerce system:

Install and configure E-commerce system - 6.0 hrs
Add basic site catalog (1-12 products) - 6.0 hrs
Configure Merchant Cart - 2.0 hrs
Configure Checkout/Payment Forms - 6.0 hrs
Configure Merchant/Pay Pal Gateway - 3.0 hrs
Design Purchase Confirmation E-mail - 1.0 hrs
Product Administration Form Configuration - 6.0 hrs

Typical Project Time: 30 hours

Membership-based Modules & Configuration

Some of the most popular Websites are based on social networking. Whether it's a not-for-profit club or a large organization, these sites require management of groups of people. These include membership forms, login e-mails, member-only content, profiles, and the ability to communicate through forums, blogs and internal messaging. We offer a solid membership-based package including the following:

Set Membership Roles/Rules - 1.0 hrs
Set Permissions/Enable-disable Account - 1.0 hrs
Format Membership Form - 2.0 hrs
Code Membership Form - 2.0 hrs
Design Confirmation E-mail - 1.0 hrs
Configure Organic Groups - 2.0 hrs
Configure Member Profile Page - 4.0 hrs
Configure Membership Views Page - 2.0 hrs
Configure Membership Update Form - 2.0 hrs
Design Update Confirmation E-mail - 1.0 hrs
Configure Forums - 0.5 hrs
Configure Blogs - 0.5 hrs
Configure Commenting - 0.5 hrs

Typical Project Time: 18 hours

Rich Internet Applications

Space Coast Interactive has the expertise to develop a wide range of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). We'll be glad to sit down with you to evaluate your application requirements and develop a competitive estimate to meet your needs.

Web Application Estimates Available Upon Request

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