- What is the best way to get in touch with you?
- How does the custom design process work?
- Once the site is finished, how can I make changes? Do I need special software?
- In addition to your design & development fees, what other costs are involved?
- What forms of payment do you accept?
1. What is the best way to get in touch with you?
Because this is a home based business and I often have three young children nearby, I prefer to communicate through email rather than through unscheduled phone calls. This also allows me to keep an accurate record of what was discussed and gives me documentation to refer back to throughout the design process.
If I am designing a custom website for you, and you would really prefer to talk by phone, let me know and I can set up an appointment.
2. How does the custom design process work?
Step 1: Initial Contact
Please contact me for a quote on your project. To reserve your spot in my project queue, you will be asked to submit a 25% non-refundable deposit payment. This amount will be deducted from the total project amount.
Step 2: Design Questionnaire
Once I receive your deposit payment, I’ll send you an email with your start date as well as a link to a Design Questionnaire. Please answer carefully because this is what I will use as a guide when designing and building your website. The Questionnaire is due by your official start date.
Step 3: The Design Process Begins
On your start date, an additional 25% of your project total will be due. This amount will be deducted from the total project amount. Once I have your payment, I’ll get started on creating your design mockup(s). In one to two weeks, I’ll have these ready for you to view. These mockups are basically pictures of your future website design which show what your website may look like. They are not coded and functioning websites. You’ll have some time to look them over and decide which you’d like to go with (if your package includes more than one), as well as make suggestions on any changes you’d like to see. The number of revisions you get depends upon the package you choose. Each round of revisions takes about two to three days.
Step 4: Coding The Demo
Once I have completed your requested revisions, I will transform the approved design into a functioning website on my server. This takes about one to two weeks depending upon the features needed. When it’s ready, you’ll have a chance to log in and experiment with the content management system. You will be able to make minor changes as necessary. Larger changes outside of the original scope may require additional payment.
Step 5: Final Payment, Code Transfer, Tutorial, and Launch!
When you give me your final approval on the demo, you’ll make your final payment (the remaining 50%). Then I’ll transfer the design and code to your own server and officially launch your website opening it to the public!
3. Once the site is finished, how can I make changes? Do I need special software?
All you will need is a web browser and access to the internet. You will be able to log into your website’s admin with a username and password. There you can add, delete and edit pages, products, images, etc. It would also be helpful if you have some sort of photo editing software, like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, to resize and enhance images. You can also try Picnik, a free, online image editor.
4. In addition to your design & development fees, what other costs are involved?
You will need to purchase a hosting account for your website. You should expect to pay around $7-$15 a month for quality hosting. You will also need to register your domain name, which you can do for about $10 a year.
If you are going to be selling items online, the easiest way to accept payment is through PayPal. If you choose the PayPal method, you will need a premium or business account. They charge a small fee per transaction, but using PayPal means you don’t need a merchant account of your own to process credit cards. If you wish to accept credit cards directly on your site without PayPal, you will need a merchant account. Fees and rates vary.
5. What forms of payment do you accept?
I accept payments online via PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, you can still use it to pay by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover). I also accept payment by check. If you are sending a check, please contact me for more details.