|
How do I
send my website material?
There are many
options available to you for submitting website material. The rule
of thumb is: the more material you can put together on your own, the
more affordable your project will be.
Your website
designer may accept materials on CD, through email or through
traditional mail. If you send paper materials through the post
office, they will have to be converted into electronic format for
you. If you need this kind of service from your designer, ask for it
specifically ahead of time to avoid unexpected costs and delays in
completing your project.
Tips for sending your material
Text:
Spell-check and review your text for accuracy before
sending. It may not be possible to preserve formatting in Microsoft
Word documents.
Other Preformatted Documents:
Adobe PDF documents are gaining popularity. If you like to
use Adobe PDF, or other document types like Excel, Quark or
Publisher, you should discuss with your designer how best to use
them on your website.
Photos / Artwork:
Digital images or scanned artwork are best at FULL quality
(not web optimized.) That's because an image can be reduced in size
no problem, but it cannot be enlarged without losing significant
quality. Logos are easier to work with when a source file is
supplied. If your logo needs to be edited or recreated, try to find
out what font(s) was used for the lettering.
Audio and Video:
This type of content often requires special handling. Ask
your designer about the best format to send.
Windows Media Video, RealPlayer, Quicktime, and Flash video
formats can usually be placed directly on your web site. You should
edit your video beforehand so it appears exactly as you want it.
Product Listings / Catalogs: If
you have a small number of product listings, it's probably okay to
send individual photos and descriptions by email. Larger catalogs
will have to be formatted specifically for your database developer.
He/she will let you know what's required. Many clients enjoy the
added convenience of having their own online administrative area so
they can manage their product listings. The initial web development
cost is higher, but will save you time and money in the long run.
What to do when your files are large:
Video and audio files are often too large to send through
email. Files larger than 2 or 3 MB tend to get swallowed up (lost)
by mail servers. If you'd like to try something other than sending
them on CD (or maybe you don't have a CD burner), your website
designer can set up an FTP account for you. FTP (File
Transfer Protocol) is a simple way to exchange files over the
Internet. |
