"Brochure" or Static Web site

A basic, information-based Web site that does not contain dynamic content or programming. Brochure, or static, Web sites are the most common type of Web sites and the least expensive to develop. They can display text, images, and hyperlinks to other Web sites and downloadable files. They simply display information much as a print brochure would.

Typical price range: $400 - $2,500

Dynamic Web site

A Web site whose content can be easily updated, a dynamic website allows the Web site administrator to make changes such as adding new content, uploading photos, adding new products, and changing prices very easily and quickly without accessing the Web site’s code. These Web sites are always programmed with PHP and MySQL or other similar programming languages which must be supported by the hosting company. This type of Web site is more expensive to develop than a simple static one.

Typical price range: $700 and up

Flash Site

A Web site developed in Flash. Flash is a program used to add animation and movement to Web sites. Most animation or movement you see on the Internet is created in Flash. The overuse of Flash is a common mistake with Web sites that employ it. Flash animation is best used in moderation and only where needed. Flash has advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages of using Flash:

• Gives the freedom to design without the limitations of static HTML and CSS programming
• Allows you to create highly interactive Web sites
• Allows you to animate and customize everything from menus to scrollbars
• Is both cross-browser and cross-platform (Whether someone uses a Macintosh computer with the Safari browser or a PC with Internet Explorer, the Flash site will appear exactly the same on both machines)
• Is perfect for running and compressing video files

Disadvantages of using Flash:

• Is very expensive to use to develop and create a Web site.
• Requires a Flash plug-in to be installed on the user’s computer. (About 97.7% of Internet users will have the Flash plug-in, but the rest will need to download it and some companies do not allow any applications to be installed on their computers.)
• Is not easy for search engines to use.
• Requires extra download time (Most visitors spend only a few seconds on a Web site, so getting them the content they are looking for as fast as possible is very important).
• Is expensive to update content.
• Can easily require larger file sizes.

Many examples of Flash websites can be found here: http://www.thefwa.com/

Typical price range: $2,500 and up

E-Commerce

An e-commerce Web site sells products or services to customers online. The primary concern with an e-commerce Web site is the encryption of customers’ credit card information. To encrypt this information, you can either use an online pre-existing credit card payment system or integrate a merchant account.

Typical price range: $700 and up