Wednesday September 8, 2010

Web Development FAQs

Please review the frequently asked questions list below.

For a more detailed account of how we develop your web site — from start to finish — you might want to review our design process page.

Getting Started: Do you provide estimates?; Yes. You can get a FREE estimate by filling out this form.; What are your design rates? How much do you charge?; Our hourly rate for all design work is $75.00 per hour. We also offer some discounted web design packages you may want to take a look at.; How do I get my site onto the internet?; Please see the “Hosting and Domain Names” section below.
Designing Your Web Site: Do you write the content / text / words that will appear on my site?; Yes and no. We would prefer that the customer authors their own page copy — nobody knows what you want to say better than you. But if you need assistance, we can help out.; How long does it take to get my site finished?; Provided that the client has fully prepared all of the necessary content for the site, most projects should be completed within a few weeks, unless otherwise noted.; I want people to be able to buy things on my site. Can you do this?; Yes. We can create a custom shopping cart, or integrate a 3rd party e-commerce solution into the design of your site.; Will my site be in the search engines like Yahoo and Google?; If you are serious about being listed in search engine results, there are additional steps that will need to be taken. Review our search engine optimization page for starters.; How do I make changes to my website?; We can make the updates for you, or develop a web application that allows you to do it yourself. It all depends on what you need done, and how frequently.
Hosting and Domain Names: Do you offer web hosting?; No. We do not provide any hosting services. There are several companies that we can recommend to you for that service.; I already have web hosting through Yahoo, etc. Can I just use them?; Sure. Nowadays most hosting packages include all of the development tools that we will need for your site.; Do you purchase our domain name for us?; No. The customer is responsible for buying their domain name. If you need assistance, do not hesitate to ask.; Where do I get my domain name?; Domain names can be purchased at the same time you get your web hosting service. Or try godaddy.com — they seem to be the cheapest.
Payment Information: What are your payment terms?; Payment terms are on a NET 30 basis.; Do you require a down payment?; Optima Design requires a down payment on all projects. Web or print.; If you are purchasing one of our Web Development Packages:; The full amount of the package price is due before we begin construction on your web site. Payment terms are on a NET 30 basis.; For all other web design, graphic design, or web site promotion projects:; An estimate is first provided to the client. Before we begin working on the project, half of the estimated cost of the project is due as a down payment, unless otherwise noted.; Once the project is complete, the remaining design cost quoted in the estimate is due.; Payment terms are on a NET 30 basis.