Road NotesFrequently Asked Web Design Questions
Often anticipating a web design or redesign project can seem confusing because of all the techie jargon and new concepts. We are here to assist you, not confuse you through the web design process.
Here are some questions that come up quite frequently.
FAQs
There are hundreds of Web design companies out there. What makes you different?
Why should I hire a professional to design my Web site?
Why should I hire a professional copywriter? Can't I do it myself?
What products do you use to develop Web sites?
Why don't you use FrontPage?
How much will it cost?
How long will it take?
Who owns the completed Web site?
What is a domain name and why do I need one?
What is hosting and why do I need it?
What services do you provide?
Who will I be working with?
How many changes can I request to the drafts?
Can I make changes after I approve the draft?
What kind of guarantee do you offer?
Can you explain the design process?
Once the site is complete, can I make changes and updates to it myself?
What is your payment policy and what type of payments do you accept?
What are your office hours?
There are hundreds of Web design companies out there. What makes you different?
There are many people that think that since they simply own some Web publishing software, that they can put up a Web site and call themselves Professional Web Designers.
At Mount Evans Designs, we take your project seriously. This is not something that we do part-time or on the side. We have years of experience and formal education and are constantly taking new classes to improve our skills and keep up with the evolving Web world. We've invested in what we consider to be the best Web design software on the market and more importantly, we know how to use it to give you the results you want.
In addition, since we operate a small business, we are able to give each and every client the personalized attention that they deserve.
Unlike most other Web design firms, we have taken the added time to educate ourselves in the areas of search engine optimization. We have aligned ourselves with both a copywriting organization and search engine optimization consultant who help create your site in such a way that it receives prime consideration for inclusion with the major engines. We are able to provide you with keyword analyses, keyword saturated copy, concise and effective META tags, and a design that helps - rather than hinders - your positioning.
Finally, we gladly work with Internet startup companies, providing the site design, logo, copywriting, search engine compatibility and other elements you need to succeed.
Why should I hire a professional to design my Web site?
Think of it this way. When you're looking for new car stereo, you most likely start by searching the telephone book. You find a few stores in your area and call them to ask about brands, models and pricing. Once you've decided which stores offer what you're looking for, you drive over for a look around.
What happens when you pull into the parking lot of a store that looks run down? One that has obvious signs of neglect? One that looks as though the owner should have it condemned? If you're like most people... you keep on driving!
Why? Are you afraid to leave your car with that stereo shop for fear it will get stolen? Do you think the store might not be honest? You don't know these people, but from the image they portray... you are suspicious and skeptical.
The same thing applies to your Web design. When visitors come to your Web site, they are either rolling their eyes or smiling.
In many cases, your Web site IS your business. It is the image you present to the Internet world. We also know that there is a lot going on behind the scenes that contributes to your site functioning properly. A professionally designed Web site will give your business the foundation it needs to succeed by using the latest technologies and design applications, by being search engine compatible and by displaying correctly in a variety of browsers. When you hire Mount Evans Designs, you get the skills, knowledge and expertise that only comes from years of hands-on experience.
Why should I hire a professional copywriter? Can’t I do it myself?
Your Web site copy is your "salesperson.” It is the only persuasive element of your site. Copy - if written properly - is what reaches your customers on a personal level and shows them how you are the solution to their problems. Words are our sole source of communication. They trigger our emotions and are the defining factor in most of our decisions (especially our buying decisions). A professional copywriter understands how to blend emotion, the communication style of your target customer, and the details and facts about your business into a harmonic flow that is well received by your clients and triggers a desire to buy.
In addition, if search engine positioning is of importance to you, you need to realize that the selection of effective keywords and delicate balance of keyword saturation in your copy is absolutely vital to success.
So the answer is “yes.” If you feel you are able to accomplish the things listed above, you can certainly write your own copy. However, we strongly suggest enlisting the talents of a pro!
What products do you use to develop Web sites?
For Web publishing, we use several tools to write the code for your website. Most of our programmers and coders code "by hand" meaning they do not need a code generator to write the characters. They do it from memory in the most effecient way possible. Our code is clean, tableless, strictly validated by the W3c.
For Web graphics, we use both Jasc's Paint Shop Pro and Adobe Photoshop because they provide clear, compressed graphics that load fast so as not to keep your visitors waiting. Some other products that we use include Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Flash.
Why don't you use FrontPage?
The reason that we don't use FrontPage is because it generates a lot of HTML code that is only recognized by the Internet Explorer browser. That means that a site built with FrontPage will often display beautifully in Internet Explorer (as both FrontPage and Internet Explorer are owned by Microsoft), but will be a jumbled, unreadable mess in Firefox, Netscape or Opera browser. Just the word "hello" when created in Word or FrontPage will create over 100 lines of code - when coded by an expert - you will only have about 5 lines of code.
We believe that cross-browser compatibility is important and we design Web sites so that they view properly, and work as intended in Internet Explorer, Netscape, and Opera.
How much will it cost?
Unlike other web design companies who hide their pricing, create arbitrary quotes based on how much they'd like to make, or charge monthly fees for life; we are honest and upfront about our pricing structure. Nothing you don't want or need is forced upon you. You'll have a clear understanding of the cost before the project begins and no surprises when you receive the final invoice.
Please see our rates page for details.
How long will it take?
If you have the copy (text) for your site written before the design process begins, it generally takes 3 - 6 weeks from start to finish. Copy should be in electronic format, preferably MS Word format. Not having your copy completed before the design process can significantly delay the production of your site.
For your convenience, we offer reduced rate copywriting / Web design packages that provide you with additional savings when choosing both services.
Who owns the completed Web site?
Once the final payment is received, you will receive 100% ownership of your Web site as it pertains to the license issued to you.
What is a domain name and why do I need one?
Every Web site must have a domain name. A domain name is your Web site's unique address on the Internet.
As an example, the domain name for Mount Evans Designs is http://www.mountevansdesigns.com. The most common domain names will end in .com, .net, or .org, but there are many more to choose from.
Although you are free to use any domain registrant you choose, Mount Evans Designs offers domain name registration for only $39.95/year. After your registration, you will be given full access information to your own, personal domain name control panel if you wish. In many cases, our clients request us to manage, update, transfer or change their registration information so they don't have to worry about learning the technical aspects of web maintenance.
What is hosting and why do I need it?
Your Web site needs a home on the Internet - a place for your domain name, Web page files and graphics to reside. You buy or rent Web space through a hosting company. We provide reliable affordable hosting for businesses and offer pricing with your web proposal.
Hosting fees vary greatly depending on your needs. Your hosting package will need special features if you plan to have a storefront on your Web site, if you will be connected to a database, or if you have special programming requirements.
What services do you provide?
We provide
- Professional Web design
- Custom Programming
- Flash
- Web site copywriting
- Logo design
- Web site maintenance
- Web site analysis
- Web site banners
- Web site graphics
- Search Engine Optimization
Who will I be working with?
Who you will work with depends on what your needs are. Web design and logo design customers will work with one of our expert designers. Copywriting customers will work with one of our communication specialists. Visit our team page to meet the members of our staff.
How many changes can I request to the design concept?
We offer one revision cycle at no additional charge. We'll make as many changes as necessary until it meets your approval after that at our normal hourly rate. We do ask for a final sign off to the design after the first revision cycle as we will have received all of your feedback by then.
Can I make changes after I approve the concept?
Yes, however design changes performed after you have approved the concept will be charged at an hourly rate of $110.00 US.
What kind of guarantee do you offer?
We completely guarantee our design work. We provide an initial concept based on the creative brief we put together prior to designing. We then offer an entire round of revisions at no additional charge. In many cases revisions aren't even needed, but when they are necessary - we take your entire "laundry list" and tweak until the design is just right. We also allow another final revision cycle of the website once all content has been inserted, to make sure your site is ready before launch.
Once the concept is finalized, your copy, links, forms and other elements will be added, and your site uploaded to your hosting service.
Can you explain the design process?
We have a five-step process as explained below:
Step One - Contact Us
Simply use our contact form to send us a short description of your project. Together we can review the details, specific requirements and the end result you want for your site.
Next, we'll provide you with a quote for the total cost of your site creation. This interaction provides us both with the information and insights we need to decide if our relationship will be mutually beneficial. If we are agreed - we move onto step 2.
Step Two - Make a deposit
You'll be provided with an invoice for 50% of the total of your quote. This deposit can be made via check by mail or in person. We also accept credit card and PayPal payments for smaller projects under $500.
Step Three -Your insight is vital!
While we may be the Web design professionals, you have vital information about your business, your customers, your likes and dislikes that will make your site a success. We will sit down with you via conference call or in person to establish a creative brief. This is a casual meeting that helps us understand your goals for look and feel of the website. Some of the topics cover navigation, calls to action and other elements required on the home and sub page templates we will be designing.
Step Four - Provide us with feedback
We will provide you with a design concept within 2 weeks of our creative briefing. Your feedback will help us to determine which direction to take. We may only need to do some tweaking, or we may be ready to go!
Step Five- Test and launch
Once you have approved the final design, we add and format the copy (text) to all the pages and set up your desired features, such as contact forms. Once everything has been approved by you, we upload your site to the Web and fully test its functionality. We make sure that your site can be viewed as intended in Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and other common browsers and resolutions.
The Web design process generally takes anywhere from 3 - 6 weeks. To alleviate any unnecessary delays, we recommend that you have the majority of your copy written (and proofed) before your design begins. Mount Evans Designs offers discounted copywriting and Web design combo packages as a one-stop solution to your Web design needs.
Once the site is complete, can I make changes and updates to it myself?
Yes,we offer an optional CMS (content management system) that we have developed for just this reason. We can customize the CMS to your professional website and add features specific to your organization. With this CMS you will be able to build new pages, edit existing pages, upload images, documents and more. We offer a simple CMS and advanced CMS with licensing options depending on the number of users in your organization.
Our CMS allows you to make text changes to your web site at your convenience, while maintaining site standards for style, layout, and code.
We do not provide support or offer training for FrontPage, or any other Web publishing program as we have found many of these software applications "bloat" code and cause more inflexibility then it is worth for high end custom design..
What is your payment policy and what type of payments do you accept?
We receive 50% of your estimated total as a deposit prior to beginning work. The final payment is due immediately upon completion of the project or sooner if web project is delayed by client..
We will accept credit cards for smaller projects under $500. We accept Visa, Mastercard or PayPal payments. Your project will begin once your we have received a signed contract and down payment.
What are your office hours?
Our office hours are
- 8:00am - 6:00pm Monday -Friday, Mountain Time
Archive Information
In order to make the exchange of information quick and easy, we offer you a choice of two different Web design worksheets.
- The Comprehensive Worksheet is highly recommended for those who are unsure of their Web site needs and design preferences. It will help you define your goals and vision for your site while giving us insight into your individual taste and style.
- The Quick Start Worksheet is for those who already have a good idea of what they want their Web site to do and how they want it to look, or those choose not to fill out the longer comprehensive worksheet.
