FAQ

I get lots of questions from new clients. I realize this web design business is confusing from the outside. I’m here to help. What follows is a list of the most frequently asked questions.

How much does a website cost?

There’s no succinct way to answer this question. Designing a website is more like building a house than going to the store to by a DVD player. Design is not transactional. It is a collaborative effort between both the client and the designer.

Back to the house example. A website consists of many layers or structures. You have the foundation – any number of CMS systems or simple organizational structures. You have the doors and windows – the navigational elements, how you get in and out and around. And you have the aesthetic elements – the graphics, media, the pretty bells and whistles that bring it all together. Needless to say, it’s much more work then most people realize, for the client and the designer.

The short answer is this: the average cost of a premium custom website is $1500 – $10,000. I have packages that begin at $1500. Understandably, to those who have never been involved in web design, these prices can elicit cold feet and heart palpitations. Just remember the old adage: you get what you pay for.

What is a domain name? What is hosting? What do I need?

Ok, so you’ve decided that you want a website. Having a gorgeous design is useless if it’s not accessable on  the web with an easily memorable domain name. Let’s break it down.

A domain name is your web address. Your URL. Your dot com. Simply put, you need one. They are relatively inexpensive ranging anywhere from $5 a year to $20 a year depending on who you register with. This should be your first step towards having an online presence. Make sure you pick a name that’s both unique and easy to remember. Names like bobsgloriousdogsalondallas.tv aren’t helping you or your potential clients. Stick with .com, .net or .org if at all possible. Make the name memorable and identify with your established brand. Next we’ll talk about hosting.

If a domain name is your address, then what’s hosting? Well, it’s your physical/virtual plot of land you can start building on. It is the series of computers and networking technologies that store your site and give your domain name something to point people to. Just as your PC holds all your stuff and shows it to you, a web host holds your website stuff and shows it to the world. Hosting is cheap as well with small business plans ranging from $10 up to $200 a month depending on your needs.

I don’t want to deal with it. Can you set up my domain and hosting?

I can help. I do not provide in house hosting. I leave the domain business and hosting up to the professionals. If need be, I can consult with you and help get what you need. All you have to do is sign up with a registrar and host of your choice. After that, just give me the information to access your accounts and I can go to work.

How long does it take to design a website?

Typically three months give or take a few months. It can take less or more time depending on a number of factors such as: waiting on copy material, waiting on media, setting up hosting and domains, and design revisions. It usually goes as fast as the client lets it.

Can you do ___ on my site? Can you make it look like ___ ?

Chances are, yes. If I don’t know how to do it, I can figure it out. I am well versed in CSS, XHTML, PHP, Photoshop,  MySQL and searching for answers in Google.

How do I pay you?

I have flexible payment schedules and charge only %25 down. We can work something out to fit your needs.