Design.
What Can We Do?
What can we do? We can do just about anything you need. We can create graphics, create flash animations, applications and even flash websites; we can do e-commerce, PHP, Javascript and everything else to satisfy your desire for a great website.
When first hired to create a website, and the server address and web hosting arrangements are made, and the initial meeting with the client has been had, the first thing we usually do is create a layout template. This is the design process. Using information the client gives us, we attempt to create a basic design for all of the pages in the site- it's like a rough draft. We will create a few of these before presenting them to our client, and they make a decision and what alterations they want made. Once all of the decisions are made and are set in stone, we continue on to the creation process, where we create all of the web pages and string them together into the final website. During the creation process, clients need to provide us with:
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Any information you would like posted (this can be in the format of brochures or really anything; basically the hard-copy)
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Any specific pictures or logos you would like on the site; either supplied to us or desribed so it can be designed
- Any extra features you would like (galleries, flash animation)
Most important is the information, the content of the page. Initially, we know virtually nothing of our clients' business or organization and therefore cannot create the content from nothing. An example of what we would need would be a paragraph or something describing the business/organization to be put either on the home page or an "about" page, if it was asked for.
We can also create graphic designs if the client wishes.
After the website has finished completion, it is to be reviewed once more by the client. They either give the "okay" or give some alterations they would like to be made. Once it is approved, the website is uploaded to the internet.
We will also update the website- it can be monthly, quarterly or at an on-demand basis.
Also, we can re-design a website if a client is unsatisfied with their current one, created by us or otherwise. We will usually re-design one of our own websites for considerably less than it had cost to make it.
When a client first hires us to create a website, the first thing that needs settled is hosting. Hosting can be already provided for by the client, or we can set it up for our clients for free, providing they pay the hosting charges (in other words, free labor), or we may be able to host the site ourselves. The domain name needs to be checked and registered, which we will setup for free for our client as long as they pay the registration costs (again, free labor). This is all usually settled over a first meeting with the client. Another option the client has is free hosting from a free server, but this usually means unsightly or annoying adds and a domain name with something attached to it (such as www.yoursite.8m.com) and the client couldn't get their own .com email address through free hosting.
E-mail comes with the domain name and web space. We will be able to arrange specific email addresses for our client (such as yourname@yoursite.com) through the server and it would usually be accessible through a program such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird.
Optionally, we can also send a client's website into search engines. The client must pay for the registration and other costs the search engine(s) may require, and we do charge a small fee per search engine because it can be a huge headache to get it registered. We'll register our clients' site to any search engine they want. We can not, however, guarantee a client's position in the search engines; those matters are governed strictly by the complicated algorithms in the search engines' programming and there's only so much that can be done.
The pricing of the smallest, tiniest, one-page website would be $30. A small website costs in the range from $200 to $500, and an extensive one would be easily over $1,500. However, these are estimates- prices for websites are decided on an individual basis, depending on the extent and complexity of the website.
Therefore, as a basic, minimum-cost idea of how much a website costs, we initially charge $30 per page. The rest is decided upon the scale of the project and what is involved.
Once the initial cost is calculated, we ask for a 20% deposit before the designing process takes place- the remaining 80% will be paid after the website is finished and ready to be published.
Charges for monthly upkeep and updating of the website start at around $50 per month for a small website, but again, this is only an estimate- a constant cost will be decided on an individual basis. Quarterly upkeep starts at $40, and on-demand at $25 per update per page. Prices are higher for flash websites.
Any other costs for any other services will be decided on an individual basis with the client.