FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DESIGNING WEBSITES?
  I started up my first website back in 1997, when I had my own GeoCities website. My first foray into professional site design came in 1998, while working for a radio station in Nebraska. There, I held the position of Webmaster for nearly five years. After a five-year hiatus, I returned to site design in 2008, by creating campaign websites for local politicians.
• WHAT SOFTWARE DO USE FOR YOUR WEBSITE DESIGNS?
  Currently, I use Macromedia Studio MX (2002 Edition), which features Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Freehand, and Flash. I also use PhotoScape and Paint Shop Pro occasionally for photo editing purposes.
• HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO BUILD MY WEBSITE?
  It all depends on what you need, but I do have a window of 114 days (about four months) from the time the contract is signed, until the finalized website is published. There are three parts to this window: 42 days for you to provide me with all the materials, 42 days for me to design the site, then 30 days for you to approve the site and remit payment. For non-profit projects, the window is 95 days (just over three months), with the three windows at 35, 35, and 30 days, respectively. Conceivably, your website could be published in just a few weeks; I allow the extra time to allow as smooth a process in your site design as possible.
• WHAT QUALIFIES AS "NON-PROFIT"?
  A website is considered "non-profit" if its primary use is one of the following: personal, charity, philanthropy, education, religion, campaign, or civil/public service. In other words, if your primary goal is to "make a buck", you should order a Small Business package.
• WHAT COMES IN YOUR WEBSITE PACKAGES?
  Each website package comes with a given number of pages, of which one must be a "contact" page with your address/phone/e-mail information. Once you select the package that fits you best, you can then decide on thenavigation menu system, graphics files, .pdf conversions, etc., that you need to give you a professional look to your site,and I will assist you in deciding what options would work best for you.
• DO YOU DO WEBSITE HOSTING?
  No, I do not. I recommend you register your URL (web address) and sign up with a hosting service before you meet with me to set up your project.
• WHOM WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO HOST MY SITE?
  Most web hosting services are quite reputable, but I would go with addr.com (the host of this website). They are quite reliable, they have very good customer service, and navigating their interface is fairly intuitive. For the money, it is a good value.
• I ALREADY HAVE A WEBSITE. CAN YOU DESIGN A NEW VERSION OF IT FOR ME?
  Yes. You have the option to stay with your present basic layout (with updated formatting), or you can order an all-new design from the ground up, or anywhere in between.
• IS THERE A CHARGE IF I WANT TO MAKE CHANGES?
  It depends. If all you need is some minor updating to your completed project, then in most cases, that is free. But charges will apply if you need to add or remove pages, or you need other major work.
• DO YOU DO E-COMMERCE SITES?
  Unfortunately, no. But there are several services available which can offer you e-commerce capability linked to your site. The purpose of my work is primarily to provide you with a Web presence.
• WITH WHAT BROWSERS ARE YOUR WEBSITES COMPATIBLE?
  All of my web desgins are guaranteed to work in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Mozilla Firefox 3, and Apple Safari 3. I also test compatiblity with Google Chrome and AOL Flock.
• WHAT ABOUT NETSCAPE?
  Official support for Netscape Navigator ended in March 2008 (details). Even though my work is compatible with Netscape Navigator 9, it is no longer guaranteed, and testing with Netscape will end on June 30, 2009.
• I'D LIKE A PRIVACY POLICY ON MY WEBSITE. CAN YOU WRITE ONE FOR ME?
  A Privacy Policy is a good way to cover your legal bases, but I do not have a pre-written Policy to provide. I recommend that if you do want a Privacy Policy, you must consult with a specialist, such as your attorney, so that you can write one up. I do have one piece of advice, which I picked up while researching this topic: It is better to have no Privacy Policy at all than to have a poorly-written one.
• WHAT'S A MULTI-STAGE NAVIGATION BUTTON?
  Basically, a multi-stage button changes its behavior when you pass your mouse over it and/or click on it. Examples of this feature are shown at the top of this page.
• WHAT'S A DROP-DOWN NAVIGATION MENU?
  A drop-down navigation menu appears when your mouse passes over a given target (usually a word of text or a small graphic). For example, if you had a car dealership website, you may have a word at the left margin that says "IMPORTS". If a visitor passes his mouse over that word, a menu appears beside it with the names of import vehicle manufacturers (Audi, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, etc.). If the visitor clicks "BMW', he will go to that page. This is a more efficient and more cost-effective method of navigating larger websites, and I do recommend it for Web Projects which contain more than eight pages, frequently-updated content, and/or a multiple-directory structure.
• DO YOU DO FRAME-BASED WEBSITES?
  I can, but I must advise you that frames are a somewhat dated concept these days. Also, each frame which appears on your site, as well as the frameset page (the page holding the frames), would each count as one page in your ordered package. If you want to do an "inline frame", that would also reflect on your page count.
• HOW DO YOU DO YOUR CONSULTATIONS?
  I do free consultations on the telephone, by e-mail, or via Windows Live Messenger (by appointment). I also peform in-person consultations for $40 per hour. If travel in excess of 35 miles from Riverside, California, is required, extra charges for mileage and/or expenses may apply. My goal is to be as available to you as possible, in case you have any questions.
• CAN YOU CREATE A LOGO FOR ME?
  I can design your logo for $150, with the puchase of a web design package, but I am not a professional graphics artist. I may recommend you hire a professional to design your logo, if I am unable to do so.
• WHAT IF I GIVE YOU ALL OF THE GRAPHICS?
  By all means! The more information and files you provide, the sooner your site can go up, and the more money you'll save. By the way, if I make slight modifications to a graphics or photo file you provide (such as resizing, creating thumbnails, or framing), there is no extra charge!
• DO YOU HAVE A CONTRACT I CAN LOOK OVER?
  Certainly. Here is my sample contract for small business.
• I WANT TO PRINT OUT A PRICE LIST. DO YOU HAVE ONE?
  Yes, I do. Right here (in .pdf format).
• WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
  I accept checks from your business or organization. I also accept bank drafts, cashier's checks, and cash (if paid in person), as well as payment through PayPal (via e-mailed statements). I will not accept personal checks, credit/debit cards (unless through PayPal), or money orders.
• WHEN DO I PAY YOU?
  Typically, a 50% deposit is required once the contract is signed. The balance is due within 30 days after completion of your project. For example, if you ordered a project at a cost of $500, $250 is due immediately, and the remaining $250 is due when you approve the finalized project. Once full payment is received, your website will be published the next business day.

Can't find your answer? E-mail me your question, and I will give you one.