Have questions?
I have answers! Here are some of the more common questions asked of me about my process and the services I provide. For any additional questions or clarification, feel free to give me a shout.
General Questions
How much will it cost to work on a project?
What is a content management system?
Can you explain "SEO Optimization?"
I know someone who charges less. Can you match their rate?
Can you volunteer your services for exposure and/or speculative profit?
Agency Questions
Can you explain the differences / benefits between an hourly rate versus a weekly one?
What are the requirements for your weekly rate?
What about illnesses and emergencies?
Do I need to have a workstation set up for you if traveling on-site?
I'm looking for someone to teach my staff how to build a WordPress/Drupal/etc website. Do you offer such services?
General Questions
Q. How much will it cost to work on a project?
A. This is not an easy question to answer as every project is different; cost varies and is ultimately based on the total amount of time the project will take. A variety of factors must be taken into consideration when figuring an estimate, such as requirements, design concepts as well as any revisions. Contact me for a free consultation in order to determine a project estimate.
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Q. What is a content management system?
A. Static websites are a great option if you don't need to update a site frequently. However, any time you do need to make a change, you will need to consult a web expert or attempt to rework the HTML code yourself.
If you need to make frequent changes and updates, content managed websites require little-to-no HTML knowledge. They run on web software such as WordPress or Drupal that allows you to log into the website and easily create and edit content pages, blogs, calendars, and much more. CMS websites are more complex to build and cost more, but they might be a better fit for your company’s needs - especially if several editors will be working on it.
During our consultation, I will evaluate your needs and make a recommendation towards what kind of website would best suit you.
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Q. Can you explain "SEO Optimization?"
A. SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of improving a website’s visibility in search engine results. There are a variety of techniques and optimizations that can be done to a website to improve results, though no technique or amount of money spent is guaranteed to shoot your site to the number one result (despite what “experts” may attempt to sell you).
I am not an SEO expert, nor do I offer this as a specific service. But I am highly experienced with many of it’s principles when it comes to web development; therefore I build websites with clean practices that search engines recommend.
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Q. I know someone who charges less. Can you match their rate?
A. Professionals are hired based on their quality of work and what the situation calls for. You wouldn't serve fast food at a wedding reception, but you wouldn't hire a caterer to cook your home dinner, either. Sure, a bargain-basement designer is less expensive, but they don't offer the same quality as someone who has professional experience. In a competitive market, businesses that give a strong first impression to their audience will have an edge.
Ultimately, it is up to you to determine your requirements / budget and hire the right person accordingly. I stand by my experience and quality of my work and I may be the better long-term choice: a project done right the first time is more cost-effective than one that isn't.
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Q. Can you volunteer your services for exposure and/or speculative profit?
A. Unfortunately my landlord nor the grocery store will accept these things as payment. Believe me...I tried.
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Agency Questions
Q. Can you explain the differences / benefits between an hourly rate versus a weekly one?
A. Weekly rates are desirable when long-term help is needed on a lot of straight-forward routine work (such as HTML development), or simply to fill in for the duties of an employee currently out of the office that week. If you have over a week of backlog and continuous work to get through, weekly rates are the best value.
For most projects that will inevitably hit roadblocks (awaiting client approval, critique, etc), project estimates by the hour make more sense and is more cost-effective over the long-term.
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Q. What are the requirements for your weekly rate?
A. Weekly rates are a 40-hour mandatory obligation per week; refunds or reductions will not be given if dismissed prior to the end of each contracted week. Payments are also due on a weekly (or bi-weekly) basis based on the tenure of contract. Keep in mind I may not always be available for weekly work, so please check with me for my availability.
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Q. What about illnesses and emergencies?
A. I've been blessed with great health, but even I am not immune to the occasional bug. In the case of illnesses or emergencies, arrangements to make up lost hours will either be made the following week, or the bill will be adjusted to compensate for those missed hours accordingly.
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Q. Do I need to have a workstation set up for you if traveling on-site?
A. Not necessarily, I prefer to work on my laptop as it's a familiar environment and I can get started more quickly. A large monitor to plug my laptop into would be appreciated, if available. If your business requires user accounts, VPN accounts, etc to access things and get work done, please have all these accounts created and working before I arrive.
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Q. I'm looking for someone to teach my staff how to build a WordPress/Drupal/etc website. Do you offer such services?
A. I have been hired by agencies before to tutor their staff in these areas, provided they have a solid understanding of HTML/CSS to begin with. Contact me for more information.
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