hen planning your website, consider exactly what it is that you are trying to achieve.  For some organizations, it's enough just to establish an online presence.  For others, a full-service site is a must, complete with ecommerce.

In any case, there are fundamental decisions to make.

DESIGN ISSUES:

• Domain Name ~ Establishing a domain name is no easy feat.  You may have to be creative in choosing a name, as most domains that include nouns or common names are being snapped up by the minute.
  
  
• Color Scheme ~ The world wide web supports a number of "web safe" colors that you can depend on to be relatively consistent no matter what computer or browser the viewer may be using.  For your convenience, these colors are displayed in our Color Chart.
  
  
• Font ~ For long blocks of copy, it is best to use a standard font, one that can be found on most computers.  This way, you can better control the look of your site, while keeping the site fast-loading.  For your convenience, some standard fonts are displayed on our Font Chart.
  
  
• Images ~ In the interest of fast load time, the fewer and smaller your images, the faster they will load and grab the viewer's attention.  If your site includes many images, consider distributing them onto multiple pages, or using a fade-in slide show, as in this example. Professional, well-lit photographs make for a more sophisticated site. For more advanced services, we provide photo editing.
  
  
• Domain Host ~ Almost any internet provider, or ISP, can host your domain.  Some providers are better than others; we recommend Vom.com for top-notch service and technical support at the most competitive prices.  Sonoma Sites will coordinate and manage the site in tandem with the ISP of your choosing.

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