Creative Services & Solutions for the Web
We have provided many of our clients their first web presence, so there really are no stupid questions. We've tried to collect & answer the ones we're asked the most often.
| Question: | Answer: |
|---|---|
| I'm completely new to this. How do I get started? | A suitable domain name is the first step. There are many registrars to choose from. We use GoDaddy™—they're quick, easy and inexpensive. Grab a credit/debit card, reserve a name or two at around $10, save all correspondence and passwords, and you're on your way! |
| How much will I have to spend? | Many small businesses and start-ups can establish a fairly impressive web presence with an "online brochure" of 5-8 pages. We have built dozens of these and were able to keep many under $1000. |
| What do you need from me? | Start with a basic outline, which translates into the organization of the site. Send us copy and images for each page or section, your logo (if you have one), desired color scheme, and search words or phrases that you would like to be found by, and we'll get to work. It is also helpful to send us links to a few of your competitors' websites. We design a "look & feel" template which carries throughout the site. We will email links to new work for your feedback, so timely decisions and responses will help keep the process moving. |
| How long will it take? | This actually depends upon you! A few clients contact us after they have organized their content, strategy, outline, images, logo & color scheme, and we can build, tweak, test & publish a new website in less than a week. Some clients come to us with little or even none of this, so it takes quite a bit longer. Most fall between the two, and realistically take two or three weeks. |
| What about recurring costs? Updates & changes? | These generally fall into two categories: web hosting and content management. Reliable hosting for a small website can be found for as little as $5.00 per month. We can suggest a few with excellent track records and features. As for content management, we handle updates on dozens of our client sites. We bill at $50.00 per hour, (in increments of a half-hour) and can get quite a bit done in one hour. Preparation on your part can help keep this cost to a minimum. |
| Will I own my website? | Yes. Upon final payment, we can deliver your entire website and its supporting files to you on disk. This assures that you have a backup copy and allows you to transfer your website to any server or host that you choose. We keep several backup copies of each client site at all times. |
| Will you help get my site listed by search engines? | Yes. Before building your site, we plan page names, URLs (addresses), titles, headings, text, content and meta tags to target specific key words and phrases to maximize page rank in search results. We will code and upload a unique XML site map, which helps Google and other search services locate and index all content. We will also advise you to generate reciprocal links to related businesses, vendors, associations and groups, which helps search engines determine your importance to a certain search category. |
| How do I make payment? | We prefer PayPal™ as a method of payment, whether you're down the road or across the country. You can use major credit/debit cards, and even checks (although they require 3-5 business days to clear). Its quick transactions allow us to deliver all services without delay. If you plan to be doing business on the web, it might be a good idea to establish your own PayPal™ account. |
| Your question not addressed here? | Please contact us: ric@greenleaf.pro or 561-247-4004 |
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| Question: | Answer: |
|---|---|
| What is a web application? | Any application that uses a web browser as a client. The application can be as simple as a message board or a guest sign-in book on a website, or as complex as a word processor or a spreadsheet. |
| Why doesn't this section have more questions? | |
| Your question not addressed here? | Please contact us: ric@greenleaf.pro or 561-247-4004 |
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| Question: | Answer: |
|---|---|
| How much do you charge for a new logo? | I would guess that the average logo evolves in 6 or 10 hours. Some less, some more. You can expect to spend between $300-$500 for a finished product. |
| Can you update the one I already have? | Of course. Many businesses update or modify their logos after several years to keep a fresh, appealing identity. |
| Can we do this "long distance"? | Sure. If you have an internet connection, we can do business. Through email we can send and receive agreements, accept deposits, send drafts and variations for feedback and approval, all the way through final payment and the transfer of your digital files. Actually, this is the way we handle most local business, too. |
| Will you provide several versions and sizes? | Yes. We send the final product in vector format, which is infinitely scalable, as well as bitmap or raster, which is readily used on the web. In some cases we are asked to provide a grayscale (sometimes called black & white) version for certain media. We archive all client files indefinitely so that we can provide any variation that may be needed in the future. |
| Will I own my logo? | Yes. As soon as you have paid for the project, we deliver all files and you will own all rights to the logo. |
| How long will this take? | As with any design process, we depend upon feedback and comments from the client to arrive at the final product. In almost all cases, we are waiting for you! Most logo projects are completed well within a week. |
| How do I make payment? | We prefer PayPal™ as a method of payment, whether you're down the road or across the country. You can use major credit/debit cards, and even checks (although they require 3-5 business days to clear). Its quick transactions allow us to deliver all services without delay. If you plan to be doing business on the web, it might be a good idea to establish your own PayPal™ account. |
| Your question not addressed here? | Please contact us: ric@greenleaf.pro or 561-247-4004 |
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| Question: | Answer: |
|---|---|
| I need a simple brochure. What do you need from me? | Your purpose and/or ideas, your content (images, text, logo, etc.) and maybe a targeted budget for the project. Cost per piece depends upon size, quantity, paper quality, color choices (full color, grayscale). |
| Can we use photos I've taken with my digital camera? | Yes, but the rule of thumb for best results is a resolution of 300 pixels per inch. Put simply, a photo that you would like to print at 5 inches wide should be 1500 pixels wide. We're pretty good at enhancing or correcting many image problems, but it's always best to start with a good-looking image. |
| What do you charge for your print design services? | We bill all services at $50.00 per hour, in increments of a half-hour. With some details about your project, we can provide a quote. A signed agreement with 50% deposit gets the project started, then balance at completion will get immediate delivery. |
| Do you deliver the finished product to me, or can I shop around for my own printing quotes? |
Either. We make use of several print houses that have consistently provided beautiful work and quick turn-around. You may already have a vendor that you like. In that case, we would be happy to send your completed project directly to them, to you, or both. |
| Can we do this "long distance"? | Sure. If you have an internet connection, we can do business. Through email we can send and receive agreements, accept deposits, send drafts and variations for feedback and approval, all the way through final payment and the transfer of your digital files. Actually, this is the way we handle most local business, too. |
| How long will this take? | As with any design process, we depend upon feedback and comments from the client to arrive at the final product. In almost all cases, we are waiting for you! Most print projects are completed within a week or two. |
| How do I make payment? | We prefer PayPal™ as a method of payment, whether you're down the road or across the country. You can use major credit/debit cards, and even checks (although they require 3-5 business days to clear). Its quick transactions allow us to deliver all services without delay. If you plan to be doing business on the web, it might be a good idea to establish your own PayPal™ account. |
| Your question not addressed here? | Please contact us: ric@greenleaf.pro or 561-247-4004 |
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