1. What we offer...
2. How we do it...
3. Why we do it better...
4. Samples of our work...
5. How to retain our services...
6. Yes, we validate...

What we offer...

We can do pretty much anything you need in regard to web development, but we are specialized in a few key areas:

Web Design

The look of your site & the structure of your content are two of the most important components of your web site. Your visitors' first impression of your organization and their perception of your dedication to quality are directly reflected by the construction of your site. At The Bethany Group, we create the look and feel that most closely matches your organization type and the specific message you wish to convey. We custom-design each web site, focusing on the needs of our clients and maximum usability of the sites. We avoid the glitzy bells and whistles that may alienate a substantial number of your site viewers, though we sometimes make exceptions if your industry involvement requires a display of cutting-edge technology or creativity.

TOP

Online Applications Development

We carefully develop your site to be maximally effective, but that doesn't mean that you can't have dynamic content. You can edit sections of your site to update news, events, or edit regularly changing information. Our shopping cart software is powerful and dynamic, letting you set up category sets and sub-categories, fully edit your online catalog, etc. We also have a pre-packaged program that you may be able to use to maintain a library of documents or display changing content on certain pages of your site. If you need something unique (for instance, if you need to store data and generate specific reports), we create custom applications to meet your needs. These applications use PHP scripting and a MySQL database, which gives you outstanding power and performance. And, certainly worth mentioning, PHP and MySQL are free technologies, which means you save money.

TOP

Web Marketing

No matter what anyone tells you, there is no "sure-fire" method for getting a lot of visitors. The nature of the internet changes so rapidly that the effective methods of yesterday are outdated today. We spend a lot of time researching and testing online promotion, finding the best and least expensive methods for getting recognized. Sometimes, the methods that work for one site don't work for another. This is often due to the differences from one industry to another. We offer initial web site marketing as part of our web development package, but you will find that you need ongoing promotion to drive traffic to your site. Other "offline" forms of promotion are also crucial for increasing site traffic.

TOP

Consulting

Sometimes you don't need web development services, but you need information about web development issues. We offer full, customized web plans for as little as $299. We also consult on an as-needed basis for more specific requirements.

You may find that you need technical training for yourself or your staff. We can help your organization get up-to-speed with your computer system, web utilities, e-mail, etc. Ask us for more details.

TOP

Development Technologies

You want to know exactly what technologies we use, right? Of course you do. Well, we develop the raw code for your site in a text editor rather than using expensive "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG) editors. Using a text editor is better for several reasons: we have more control over how the completed site displays, we can more easily conform the code to web standards, integration between different technologies is easier, and the development is usually quicker. Additionally, the code can be written from any computer regardless of the operating system or the installed software.

TOP

How we do it...

Our approach to web development is highly structured, giving you professional results. The key to our success is our attention to your needs and goals. We never push the latest web technology unless it directly helps you achieve your goals. Using web gimmicks often hurts your instead of helping you reach your goals.

When you decide the time is right for a new or revamped web site, we meet with you and focus on your goals and your industry to determine everything else. The design, organization, functionality, and size of your site all depend on your needs and goals.

Our programming style focuses on efficiency. Just a little careful planning in the initial stages of development can mean a lot of saved time, expense, and aggrevation later.

TOP

Why we do it better...

Have you ever been to a site where you couldn't find the information you were seeking? Well, so have we -- and that's why we make your site easy to navigate and well organized. It's tough enough getting people to visit your site without driving them away because your site is too difficult to use. You can't reach your goals or meet your needs if your site is messy, doesn't work, or hides information due to poor layout and organization. Remember, marketing is our primary concern: it's our job to appeal to your clients or customers and prospects. Unlike many web development companies, we have a keen understanding of the marketing principles, public relation techniques, and sale-driving forces needed to promote your merchandise and services.

TOP

Samples of our work...

Following is a small sample of the work we've produced for our clients. We've selected a diverse group to illustrate advanced and simple designs and utilities.

• SnowmobileDigest.com -- A companion site to the annual Snowmobile Digest publication, this site provides visitors with valuable information about snowmobile clubs and related businesses for individual counties. The Regions section is database-driven with a back-end administrative utility for updating district, club, and advertiser information.


• WheelWalkers -- This site is heavy on JavaScript, needed here to pack a lot of information into a small space. The site uses JavaScript rollover effects on the home page to provide dynamic content, includes a price calculator, and has an e-mail order form with field validation.


• Boxstretcher Truck Bed Extender -- When the cost needs to be kept low, we can still give you a well-designed site. This site redesign contains only a few key sections based on the original site content, but the entire site has been given a "facelift," including an engaging layout and dynamic flash presentation.


• North Country Lodging -- This site includes a reservation request system for Northern New York lodging establishments. The client hasn't officially launched this site, but the utility is fully functional. The system is fully equipped with search features and a back-end administrative utility.

TOP

How to retain our services...

Retaining our services is easy: just call us (800-624-6253) or send us a message by e-mail to set up a free, no-obligation meeting. If distance or scheduling is prohibitive, we are happy set up a teleconference. After the initial meeting, we will either develop a price quote or a complete customized web plan.

TOP

Yes, we validate...

This site officially validates as correct XHTML 1.0 and CSS2 in accordance with the standards set forth by W3C. It also meets federal accessibility guidelines (section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998) according to an evaluation by Bobby, the leading website accessibility system.