Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Questions not necessarily listed in order of importance.

Computer Consulting FAQ

• What does computer consulting involve?
• Can we have a flexible plan?
• What if we only need someone once in a while and not every week?
• What if we have an emergency and its not our regularly scheduled day?
• How is having a company on call different from having a volunteer on call?
• What makes Zylo-Net different from all the other "consultants" out there?
• How long is the response time?
• Do you provide equipment too?
• Will you interrupt our regular work day for network maintenance?

Web Site FAQ

• How long does it take to have a web site designed?
• Why do we need a web site?
• What is web site maintenance and how does it apply to us?
• What is the difference between web site design and web site hosting?
• What is a url?
• How do we get on the search engines?
• What comes with the web site?

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Computer Consulting FAQ

• What does computer consulting involve?
  Computer consulting is having someone come on site to your location or you drop your computer off at our office. We take care of the problems you are having with that machine or configure the machine and we return it to you. Computer consulting is usually something that occurs once you have had a problem with the machine, or you want something added to the machine
  
• Can we have a flexible plan?
  Yes, of course, we tailor the plan to you. This means you get what you need, no more. We are not in the market of selling you more than you need. In fact, Zylo-Net will not even ask you for a contract until we have been working with you long enough to evaluate your needs. Usually this takes a couple months.
  
• What if we only need someone once in a while and not every week?
  If your organization is in need of a professional on an occasional basis, that works for us too. You have someone that can handle most things and you only need someone to back that person up when they are out of the office, or have too much going on, we are always glad to help out in any way you need us to. We prefer that you contact us before the person is buried above their head though to give us a chance to get familiar with the network and their set up.
  
• What if we have an emergency and its not our regularly scheduled day?
  We know how to handle an emergency! We understand that you can't have your network down all day long! We will do everything within our power to make you the highest priority. We keep our schedules low impact so that we have room for your emergencies.
  
• How is having a company on call different from having a volunteer on call?
  The biggest difference is that a company can be held accountable for their actions. Usually as a result of this, the company is far more likely to keep documents and records of the network. There are a few other things to consider though:
  • We will evaluate the computer situation and track the growth rate.
  • We will not just piece things together, but make sure that you are prepared for up coming technology.
  • We will not request that you spend money on the "latest and greatest" unless it truly applies to you.
  • We stay current on pricing and we have several vendors that we can deal with that will help us keep your costs low.
  • We have a back up plan. There are a lot of times that a person is sick, or on vacation, or out of town. We have someone else that can step in and fill those shoes if needed.
  • We can assist you with the placement of a disaster recovery plan, and back up routine.
  • We specialize in non profit companies, so we understand the low budget, high end problems and we know what to do about them.
    
• What makes Zylo-Net different from all the other "consultants" out there?
  We specialize in non profit organizations. We are well aware of the work that goes into these organizations and what it takes to keep them running. Furthermore, we have experience, not just with computers and Web sites, but with business. We are the cross road where upper management meets the technology industry. We have experience with both ends, and we understand that you can't take a network down in the middle of the afternoon. We understand that you can't always drop two thousand dollars into a network component at the drop of a hat. And we understand that you have to work spending money into your technology budget. We are willing to work with you and help you figure out what that budget should be, without breaking the bank.
  
• How long is the response time?
  We have a 4 hour response time for urgent situations. From the time that we receive the message, phone call, email, or fax, to the time that we are discussing with you what our plan of action is. Not all situations can be resolved in 4 hours, but you will definitely have a plan in place by the end of that 4 hours. That is our guarantee!
  
• Do you provide equipment too?
  Yes, but only to existing clients. We do not have a store front, we do not keep items in stock. We deal with our vendors to get you the best price on what you need. We will stand behind any product that we sell you with a long term warranty on the product.
  
• Will you interrupt our regular work day for network maintenance?
  We understand business well enough to understand that you can't afford to lose a full days work anymore than we can afford to pay people to stand around and do nothing. Therefore, we do everything in our power to keep you up and running. We will schedule down time to work on the network after hours or before hours, or during a time that is convenient to you (ie: during a company meeting when no one is on the network, or on a holiday or weekend) We try to be as thoughtful about your working condition as we appreciate people being with ours.

Web Site FAQ

• How long does it take to have a web site designed?
  Depending on the size of the Web site it can take from a week on up. We have dealt with a lot of Web sites that are 40+ pages. Though that may not seem like much, when you consider forms, and e-commerce, it can take a little while. The more planning you do in advance, and the more thought you put into it in advance, the shorter the time frame becomes. The first step that you really want to focus on is the purpose of the Web site. From there you can start to consider other things, content, design. Usually, we ask you to provide content if you want to keep your costs down. If you are looking for a fully designed site, we can provide the content though.
  
• Why do we need a web site?
  Web sites have become a common stand point in today's business. It can serve many purposes from advertising, to informing current clients of what is going on within your company. The more you do with your web site the better off you are. It is one of the least expensive ways of communicating information to the rest of the world. A web site can also gather information about your customers for you. Your web site can become an extension of your business, and how it represents you, is up to you. It can provide one more means for you to accept donations, or one more way for you to get your message in front of the right set of eyes.
  
• What is web site maintenance and how does it apply to us?
  Maintenance applies to a web site once it has been built. A web site is like any other document or paper that refers to your business, its a live site. Your organization wasn't opened one day and then just left alone to sit there. Your web site should not either. It should be a live web site. You can list your latest news, your latest events, your latest information. This gives people a reason to keep coming back to your site. With web site maintenance, you can have your web site updated as often as you needed. We have some clients that prefer 2 times a week and some that prefer to use quarterly updates. How often is really up to you. Not updating a Web site is like never answering your phone, it is just not a good business practice.
  
• What is the difference between web site design and web site hosting?
  Designing a web site is putting it together, the colors, the layout, the content, the pictures, everything that makes the site worth looking at. Hosting a web site is parking your web site on the web. Once you have it looking the way it needs to you look, you have to have a place on the internet to put it. The web needs to be able to find it. A web site host places all of your web site out on the world wide web where the rest of the world will be able to see it.
  
• What is a url?
  A url is similar to your house address. Out on the internet there are millions and millions of files. Unless someone knew which files actually belonged to your Web site, no one would ever be able to find your site. So you get a domain name or a url (Uniform Resource Locator). This url is the address of your web site. (yourdomain.com) This address has to be unique to the internet. If it is already taken, you need to chose another that will adequately represent your organization. Keep in mind that most people associate the web site url with the organizations name. (zylo-net.com with Zylo-Net) you get the idea ...
  
• How do we get on the search engines?
  You leave that to your web designer and let them do all the work. The beauty of working with a web design company is that they know most of the tips and tricks to getting your web site listed on the search engines. It can take a while to get your site there, so don't get discouraged if it is not listed there the day after you register your domain name. Also keep in mind that there are several search engine submission programs that may work, but only a handful of them do work, so you may want to discuss this option with your web designer. Also note that there is a substantial cost involved with some search engines, so you have to way the pros and cons of these.
  
• What comes with the web site hosting?
  With a web site you get a variety of services.
  • web site hosting
  • domain name hosting
  • email addresses
  • web space
  • several plans available for the amount of space you need
  • mirrored collocation site (less chance of down time)
  • web mail access, to access your email from anywhere
  • pop3 access to set up your outlook from your primary machine
  • front page extensions are optional
  • fully functional space capable of running pearl, php, cgi, etc.