F.A.Q.
Why should you hire a professional web designer?
You can create your own web site. There are even software programs you can purchase and companies that provide services available to help you do this. . However, if you want a professional web site that looks and more importantly performs like it should, hire someone who knows how to make this happen.
If you are serious about your Internet presence and you are utilizing your web site as a marketing tool you want your web site to be optimized to reach your target audience. A professional designer goes beyond the visual aspects of the web site and assures that the site functions properly, and provides “behind the scenes” enhancements and development that may not be known by nonprofessionals or seen by the user. This includes but not limited to optimization for search engine readiness, graphics optimization, and script and code development.
How much will design work cost?
There are many factors that affect the final cost of your web site. They range from the size of the site, to the amount of graphics work required. An estimate for a job can only be based on the information made available at the time of a consultation. An estimate can not be given on an unknown quantity of work. Even a basic estimate can’t be given until we narrow down what is involved in the job.
What are ‘hosting’ and ‘domain names’?
On top of the fees to design a site, you will also need to purchase web hosting and a domain. The web host is where your page is stored on a server, and the domain name is your site’s address (www.domain.com). It’s important that you use a reliable host because you don’t want your site to be down at any time. Cheap hosting means poor service in a lot of cases, so you need to be cautious choosing a host.
Domain names are a standard fee per year, and you purchase from the host, who purchases them from a registrar. The fees generally run about $20-25 a month, but are included in some hosting companies hosting packages.
If you do not have hosting or a domain name, there are hosting companies I can recommend.
How long does it take to have a web site designed?
The time frame is determined by the size of your web site, the complexity of your site design, the content provided, and my current client design schedule. The most common delay in the creation and completion of a new website is waiting for content (text/images) to be sent to us by the client. So again, preparation is a key factor.
Do you redesign existing websites?
I can redesign, retaining your company corporate style or I can redesign to give you a complete new image. There are cases where a site’s coding can be so out of date or ‘bad’, that a complete redesign can actually be a less expensive option though.
Can I update my own site?
The quick answer is Yes, you can. I offer sites designed in WordPress. Wordpress is a Content Management System (CMS) which gives a client the ability to perform their own updates. But you need to ask yourself “do I really want to?” and “will I be comfortable doing this?”. Without ever having tried it, there are those that have the pre-conceived notion that anyone and everyone can work in a CMS environment. This isn’t always the case. For some people it’s not as simple a task as it is for others. It’s a matter of what the individual can handle comfortably. If you have extremely limited computer skills, even the ‘easiest’ solutions to updating your own site may not be that easy. If you have ‘intermediate’ level computer skills, being able to update your site is more realistic.
