Frequently asked web design questions

SEO stands for "search engine optimization". I build search engine friendly websites that show up in organic results on search engines.

Thank you for your interest in my seo website designs. I encourage you to read my FAQ's before you make your decision about buying a website package from me, or hiring another web designer, or even before attempting to build your own website. There is a lot of useful info here and its pretty easy to read through, so please take just several minutes now and save yourself hours, weeks, days or years of frustration.

A good business website tells the World "Yes, We're OPEN", ready for business and easy to find online.

The fundamental purpose of building a site, is so that you or your company, or products or services can be presented well and found online correct? Surprisingly, as obviously important as that is, many small business owners may initially consider buying some site design software and using a web design tutorial to help them. Others may purchase a cheap web design software tool online, because they think web design pricing is too expensive and a web design company typically charges thousands of dollars. I have web design examples in this site, which are real sites I have built for real people just like you, often for less than $500. I use professional web design tools and customize professional web design templates. I have found that my web design career is best suited to helping clients, such as yourself get started with a site that will actually help them sell their products or services, while giving them a professional image.

I take pride in making making myself personally available for free consultations! I'm happy to answer any questions you may have via email and I also provide phone meetings or visits in person if you prefer, any time during the week, so contact me and let me know what time and date works well for you. If you are not local and you need to see me in person, I only ask that you provide the transportation, lodging and meals I'll need to come and visit you. Whether it will be in person or telephone, try to arrange about 20 minutes of uninterrupted time, with computer access. This is a free consultation and I promise not to try any hard sell tactics and twist your arm to buy my services. If you're ready for a pro, you'll know it. If I can help you, then I will let you know, but I certainly won't be Mr. Salesman. If you need what I offer and we can work out the next step, great! If not, we got to know one another and you got yourself some free advice.

Having built websites for small businesses for over eight years, I am often asked some common questions that I'll cover briefly below for your convenience.

FAQ's:

• Q) How much does web design and seo cost?
• A) My most affordable and popular package is just $499, which includes everything you need to get started.

• Q) Is the $499 a one time fee?
• A) Yes, the amount you pay up front for your website is a one time fee that covers my labor and anything I purchase for the site.

• Q) Is $499 a good price? What's average price for web design?
• A) A good price? No - Its a great price! Expect to find average web design prices for a 4 to 5 page website in the $2500 range. The price for search optimization ranges, but expect to pay $1500 or more.

• Q) If $499 is a cheap price, why don't you charge more?
• A) My business is helping other small businesses, like myself who probably started their business on a shoe string and still run it that way. Unlike big web design firms, I have little to no overhead. The price for web design and SEO that I charge, meets my market perfectly and I intend on having my clients long term, so there will be plenty of chance for me to make more serving existing customers, instead of charging too much and then trying to always earn new business, because I was too expensive or could not satisfy my customers, (overpriced big web design and hosting companies always fall short or disappoint in some way).

• Q) Why do I pay BEFORE the site is built?
• A) Paying up-front for certain professional services like web design are typical because if a web designer builds your site and then you change your mind, or do not pay, the designer has no recourse or anyway to recuperate that loss, (obviously they cannot sell your site to someone else). On occasion, when the web project will be large or take a long time to complete, the designer will require only partial payment up-front, (usually enough to cover their investment in your project).

• Q) What other costs are involved for the website itself?
• A) As a minimum, you will have to plan on spending roughly $100 per year for the domain registration and hosting. Any major changes are billed at the rate of $25 per hour, or some agreed on amount).

• Q) Will I need a hosting account?
• A) Yes, I recommend a high quality account which will be your domain registrar and host. Free account setup available at http://bestdomainshosting.com (my GoDaddy reseller account).

• Q) How do we get started?
• A) Once I receive the $499, I will build your site. You can pay online here at http://bestseowebdesign.com or I can email you an invoice.

• Q) How long will it take for my site to be on search engines?
• A) It can take several weeks, to several months for your site to be indexed, spidered and show up thoroughly on search engines which is one of the reasons its important to get started ASAP.

• Q) How long does it take for you to build my site?
• A) My schedule is pretty good and I can multi-task between projects, so I usually have new sites launched and ready for review within 2 to 3 weeks. To provide some idea of what is involved when I build a website, (only the major steps - not any micro routines required), I have provided the following step outline:

Steps to build your website:

1. We figure out your target market, (where you provide goods or services and to whom you sell them).
2. I perform key phrase research, (to find those key phrases that both relate to your business and are popular).
3. I select a good domain name for SEO, (or we use yours).
4. I find and customize a template that suits your theme.
5. I build a website that is seo structured, (meaning the several pages within the site are very "on topic" and related to what you offer and what people are seeking).
6. I add content; seo ad copy, images, graphics, contact methods, (this is all inclusive with your purchase and royalty free).
7. I integrate interactive tools. If you are a DJ or any other service that would benefit from interactive planning and scheduling, I integrate djintelligence or event intelligence if you want to use that, (there is a 2 month trial if you have not used but would like to try it.
8. The site is seo'd one final time and html and xml sitemaps created, (these aid the search engines while spidering your site).
9. The site is submitted to search engines, (google, yahoo, bing and several "secondary search engines").
10. I email you a link to the site and you review it.
11. You email me back with changes, modifications, updates, (since my prices are so low, I'd prefer not to redesign the entire site, but happy to change it up so that it is satisfactory).
12. I make changes, (anything you want changed that can be reasonably altered or we can cover in more detail and discuss changes).
13. We redirect your old domain to the new site, (Only if you already have an existing site or domain you want to keep using... When you are comfortably satisfied with the site, that way you can keep any printed ads or existing ads with your original web address). The "seo version" of the domain I used is registered to you of course, but is technically your primary domain, the one which search engines look at.
14. Search engines spider your site. It takes several days to several weeks for the search engines to spider your new site and begin displaying results for related key phrase searches. This process continues and over the course of several months we will learn what key phrases the site is displayed in top results for and later make adjustments if needed.

Going forward, as the site becomes more beneficial and your business grows, you may think of other things you want to add, take away, change, etc... That is fine and normal and I am always just an email or phone call away. Many quick changes, (adding a fax, changing a picture, including a link, etc), I do for free. Other changes which take more time I charge at the rate of $25 per hour, or some agreed on amount, ($50, $100, $300, etc depending on the size and scope of the changes). I have no problem being your webmaster, and most of my clients continue to use me year after year. You will not be handcuffed to me though! I design my sites with Dreamweaver, so if for whatever reason I cannot make changes, or you choose another designer any professional can work with the site.

FAQ's Continued... Refunds & Guarantees

< return to top of FAQ's

• Q) Why do you have a No Refund Policy?
• A) What is important to stress here, is that when you hire a web designer you are not paying for something physical or even tangible. You are paying for a service... You are paying for the designer's creativity, time and any other costs associated with setting up or building your website. The only time a refund could be provided, is if services were not rendered because of some fault of the web design firm's. The creation of a website is a very time-consuming task, so if you change your mind about the website, or perhaps it did not meet your expectations and you have buyer's remorse, its not like a toaster or coffee maker that you don't like and can return to the store. You have paid for the web designer's time and creativity. The electronic documents that were produced for you are yours to keep as agreed, but that is about the only thing tangible associated with websites.

• Q) Why do you have a No Guarantee Policy?
• A) When you hire a web designer or web design firm, you are paying for their time and creativity. They cannot guarantee you will love their interpretation or it may not be exactly what you envisioned. That is one of the reasons it is so important to look at a web designer's portfolio before hiring them, to see that "in general" you like what they do. Additionally besides the artistic and creative aspect of web design, a website is also advertising... Like any other form of advertising, Internet marketing via a website is not guaranteed and results may vary. Neither myself, nor any other web designer or SEO firm has control over search engines, or the Internet, or the thought process of search engine users.. We can't guarantee anyone will be interested in your products or services. We cannot even guarantee that a website won't be compromised or temporarily go offline. There are just way too many variables outside the design firm's control to offer any sort of guarantee that the site will produce results you expect.