Its a big scary world wide web out there and there's a ton of people that say they can do this for you or that for you, so here are some frequently asked questions and answers for you to consider. If you have any other questions feel free to contact me and we'll get them answered for you!

HOW LONG DOES THE PROCESS TAKE?
In general, I don't like for projects to take longer than 4 to 6 weeks at the very most. The reason for this is because it is very easy to get started and then walk away to take care of some other things. After two or three times of doing that, the project loses steam and the excitement can be lost. Many people lose sight of how important this all really is for their business. Usually I will tell people to not even get started until they have a gameplan and some materials put together. Larger projects can take longer and some projects can be completed quicker. If you have a specific deadline just let me know and I will tell you if it is doable. I can pretty much meet any deadline, but we don't ever want to sacrifice quality just to get it done quicker. That defeats the purpose of all of this.

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?
The most important thing you need is a vision of your business and what you hope to accomplish with it. If you have any preferences past that (colors, design style, etc.) then feel free to let me know any of those. I will get you to fill out a questionaire early on and ask you questions along the way to get you where you need to be. Either way we will get you a design and brand you will be proud to show other people.

WILL I BE INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN PROCESS AT ALL?
Absolutely! You are as involved as you want to be and truthfully, I want you to be invovled because no one knows your business better than you do. Whether you have an artisitc side or can't tell blue from red, we will work together to get you positioned in the marketplace with a clean professional image and the tools to take it as far as you want to go.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
There's the million dollar question everyone wants to know! It won't cost you a million dollars. The truth of the matter is that there are so many elements involved in designing a website and branding package that there is no simple answer that covers everyone. Not all websites are created the same for every business - at least not all of mine are - I create custom designs and sites for YOUR business specifically and cater those designs to YOUR specific needs. A 10 page site with minimal design doesn't cost the same as a 3 page site with extensive design and a branding package. A photography site doesn't have the same function or needs as a rock band's website or a dentist's website. Does the site have video or audio or web forms or a shopping cart, etc? All of these are factors that affect the cost. I will tell you that anyone who can do a website for $600 and a logo for $99 will be a waste of your time and a possible hindrance to your business.

DO YOU USE TEMPLATES OR BORROW FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S DESIGNS?
Absolutely not. I can't exactly grow as an artist and your business can't stand out as a front runner if you look like everyone else. I have never and will never use templates. I love designing and I love challenging myself to go further - templates just don't fit into that equation.

I HAVE ALL THESE COOL IDEAS FOR MY SITE, CAN YOU DO THEM?
Maybe, but should I? I love when people get excited about the deisgn process and their website, but ultimately we want the site to work for best for your business and within your budget, so some of your ideas may not be beneficial to you or they may make search engine optimization more difficult.

I don't really feel like I'd be doing my job if I didn't point out any red flags I saw and I am very up front with my clients. If it's a bad idea, I am going to let you know and I will let you know why. Once you are armed with that information and you still want to move forward with your idea then we go for it. Ultimately, this is your project and I will give you what you ask for. Keep in mind, however, your site should be designed for your target audience . . . not for you. They are the ones that provide you business and that is the first thing I think of when designing.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DOMAIN NAME AND HOSTING?
Domain name registration and hosting are two different things and both necessary for your website to go live. To put it in simple terms, the domain name is the address to your house and the hosting is the house itself where inside you keep all your stuff (webpages, images and files).

I personally do not offer hosting but I have had a long relationship with hostmonster.com and they have been very reliable. I highly recommend them for your hosting and domain name registration. I am a part of their affiliate program and by law I must mention that I do recieve affiliate commisions for referring clients to their services.

CAN YOU HELP ME SETUP DOMAIN, HOSTING, EMAIL, MAILING LISTS, ETC?
Yes. I will help you through every aspect of the technical setup of your website, email, domain, hosting, etc. No technical knowledge on your part is necessary.

DO I OWN MY WEBSITE AFTER IT IS COMPLETED?
Simply put, while under contract and before the project is completed, I retain the rights and ownership of all creations. Once final payment is received you own everything and are free to do what you wish with it.

WHAT IS SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION AND DO I NEED IT?
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is the science of making your website more easily found by search engines, thus ranking you higher in the search so more people can find your business. Do not be fooled, however, there are many companies and scams out there that say they guarantee you will rank higher or first in the search engines. For some businesses this just isn't possible in all circumstances. For example, if you own a boutique electronics store that sells stereos and televisions and typed in Atlanta stereos and telelvision in Google, chances are good you aren't going to rank higher than a larger retail chain such as Best Buy. However, there are scenarios where you could rank higher by capitalizing on other search terms. There are also other things that can be done to help you rank higher but the main thing to understand is that there is no method that works in which you just sit back and wait. You have to work at it, and any company that say different is using unethical practices to try and rank you higher which will eventually guarantee that your site will be blocked from search engines altogether. Do you need SEO? . . . YES!

MY QUESTION ISN'T LISTED HERE . . .
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