Frequently Asked Questions

Can you add e-commerce to my site?

Yes. I can help you find a shopping cart system to match your needs and budget. I will set it up for you and make it an integrated part of your web site.

Can you do print design?

Yes, I can do graphic design for print. (including creating logos, letterhead, direct mail pieces, catalogs, brochures, etc.) I can add a logo and print design to your web design package as well. I am also working with other graphic designers to meet the print needs of clients when I am unable to do so.

Do you offer web hosting?

Yes, we provide annual hosting. We outsource hosting to Netfirms, because they provide cost-effective hosting, good management tools and have great support.

What About Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

In building your site I will do everything that I reasonably can to make your site search engine-friendly. This includes creating descriptive title tags, descriptions, and alt tags. However, SEO is a very complicated business, and the rules change all the time. I strongly encourage you to do some research about choosing keywords for your business. These keywords, which actually should be 2 or 3-word phrases, should also appear in your content. Please tell me what keywords you want to focus on so that I can add them to the tags in your site.

I cannot guarantee search ranking for any site. Optimizing a web site is only one step in an SEO strategy. You should also submit your site to dmoz.com and the Yahoo Business Directory, as well as industry-specific web directories. You should also consider things like Google Adwords, BlogAds, and creating a buzz among popular Blogs. The more relevant links there are on the web to your web site, the better your site will rank. This does not mean you should "swap links" with hundreds of friends and unrelated businesses - at the end of the day this will actually hurt your search ranking.

Can you attend a meeting/do a phone consultation?

I pride myself on providing very professional, personal, and fast service, and I always try to far exceed the expectations of my clients. However, I am a one-woman show, and in order to provide the quick turnaround I am known for, I balance my time very carefully. I have found that meetings and phone calls take 3 times as long to glean half the information I can provide and receive by email.

In addition, having all correspondence in email ensures that we both have a copy of every word of the conversation every step of the way. This prevents disputes, he said-she said disagreements, and miscommunications galore. I am able to constantly refer back to what was needed and requested in your own words rather than relying on my memory or hastily written notes. On the rare occasions that I have relented and done consultations by phone or in person, I always later regretted it as I just did not have all of the information I needed at my immediate disposal.

Send me an email telling me what you want, and I will ask you some very specific questions in order to determine exactly what you need.

If in doubt, ask my clients. 99% of my business comes from referrals!

What if I need to make changes or add pages later?

I can add and edit pages for you at any time.

Can I update the site myself?

Yes! I have a few different options depending on your particular needs. Whether you just need to keep one small section updated or need to be able to edit the whole site, I can set you up with a site that works for you.

If you do not have time to do your own updates, I can also make edits and updates to your site for you very quickly and affordably as needed.

If you are needing an e-commerce site where you will need to add and remove products frequently, I can set up a shopping cart system that allows you to do this yourself.

How do we begin and where do we go from there?

In general the process goes something like this:

1. Email Consultation: We will discuss what you want and what you need, and determine if I can provide it in the necessary time frame.

2. Contract Signed and Deposit Paid: Based on our consultation I will email you a contract to read over, sign, and return to me. You also pay a retainer before I can begin any actual work on the site. I ask that you do not pay this until after #1 above, because it is non-refundable. The retainer pays for a site design, initial page build, and to reserve a block of time.

3. Site Design: I will take the information you have given me and a logo if applicable and create a design for you. I will send you this design to approve or tweak, or we can start over with a different design. In general, 3 design revisions are included in the price.

4. Design Approval: You approve the final design. This must happen before any of the site will be built. Any changes to the design after you have given approval may incur extra charges.

5. Site Build: I will begin creating the pages of your web site. Note that I must have your content (text, photos, keyword phrases, etc.) in order to build these pages. I ask that text is sent to me in electronic format (i.e., in a Word document or in the body of an email) already edited and proofread. Photos should be web ready (jpeg format). Extensive cropping or retouching of photos will incur additional fees.

6. Site Check: You will thoroughly check all of the pages of the site for errors or revisions. I will make any corrections needed. Once you are satisfied that everything is as it should be, I will make the site live to "show and tell" the world!