I already have a Facebook page, why do I need a website?

 

Very good question! I could go into great detail about this, but I'll keep it at a minimum. If you own a website, it's great to connect with potential customers via Facebook, Twitter, etc. Those are fantastic resources and it's free, of course.  So I highly recommend that you utilize those services by all means.  

 

The thing about Facebook is, it does not belong to you, so you are playing in their sandbox and they can change things and even tell you to go home when they feel like it. You are at their mercy, and let's say one day they turn into Myspace, then this will obviously present a problem. I think that it will be around for a long time, but who knows.  The internet is a big world and Facebook (albeit it's incredible popularity) is just another site out of many.  

 

Think about it, if you have a bar, hotel, restaurant, club, selling T-shirts, etc, would you want to point your customers to a Facebook page exclusively?  I know I could not make my website, eldondesigns.com for an example, only available on Facebook.  There's something very professional about owning your own .com, and It gives someone the ability to only focus on what they are selling.  It gives a person the opportunity to expand on their services, products and mission, everything is laid out nice and neat, and it's easy to access information.  Having the ability to provide more in-depth information and content is crucial.  

 

When you are on a FB page, you can't customize it to fit your needs, no matter what FB business page you visit, whether it's Lexus, BMW, Victoria Secrets, Burger King, Pizza Hut, political & sport figures, entertainers etc, you know you are using Facebook. Those big companies I just mentioned don't rely solely n Facebook, I can guarantee they also invested in a website to promote their brand in more detail.  

 

Another important thing to note is not everyone is a fan of Facebook.  Although it seems like the entire universe is on Facebook, that's simply not the case.  I think it's best to give your own website to someone that you met outside of Facebook, once they get to your site, it's up to them to 'like' you on Facebook IF they utilize Facebook. From there, you can continue customer relations where you can also network with other potential customers. 

 

One has to consider their Facebook page a 'mini' website where it’s a lot easier to engage with your customers and provide instant information in an online community.  FB is all about the connection, the engagement, the instant gratification.  You should use it as another networking tool, because it's absolutely great, but 'your official' website it's not. 

 

gzzzz, said way more than what I intended to say :). 

 

How much do you Charge for a Website?

 

This all depends on the size and scope of the actual project and what’s needed on the page. To give you an Idea, the cost of a website start around $500, depending on what's required. You can check the Pricing Section of this website for more info.  Please contact me with specific details and lets discuss your plans for a more accurate quote.

 

 

Can I update Content on my own web site?

 

Yes, absolutely. This is a feature most of my Clients inquire about.  The ability to add new content on a webpage is essential.  Once your website is live, I will also give you a tutorial on accessing the admin area of your site and updating your own content. You do not have to be technical wiz or know css or html coding to edit the site, as long as you know how to type and delete text, you should be fine and it should be a snap.

 

 

Can I also change the Design completely as well? Such as Colors?

 

No, and I wouldn't recommend such a thing.  The page's background colors are part of the actual Design, you won’t have the option to change the layout of a page and move design elements around, if someone did have that ability, it could get really funky & you'd be calling me to repair your website. You can change the text Colors of some content that you edit, but I Strongly recommend leaving the text color as is. A webpage should be consistent, like a book or a brochure. Certain text against certain backgrounds aren’t readable and looks horrendous. When I first Learned about web design, one of the most important thing I was told was to make sure to use font Colors that are legible (web design 101) :) :).

 

 

What if I don't know anything about domain names and hosting?

 

No worries, I know at first, this can be a very over-whelming and intimidating experience, but I am here to guide you through this entire process. I find registering a Domain name and Hosting the simplest thing to take care of during the process, it is also the most important thing.  Without a Domain Name and Hosting, you simply won’t have a website.  Domain names are, for an example “www.yoursite.com” and you can buy those from, Ipage.com, as an example along with hosting.

 

Do you charge a Monthly Maintenance fee?

 

No, because I give you the ability to add/update your own content on your site. I like to put the power into my Client’s hands. There's no need to contact me or someone else proficient in HTML/Css to make some minor changes to your site's content.  This will save you Money. 

 

As easy as I make it to edit your site, most clients, do not what to deal with it or simply does not have the time, in this case, I'll make any edits thats needed and we can set up an affordable price plan for this. The Client is responsible for hosting fees and domain names however, Everyone who owns a website has to deal with hosting fees, including myself.  Hosting a website is incredibly affordable, however.

 

 

What if I do not Know how I want my site to look?

 

Most Clients point me to another website and say, “Hey Eldon, can you create my site something like this?” That’s a great way to get the ball rolling and I’ll do my best to ensure most of your site’s layout emulates the one you showed me. I will usually be slightly different, for the sake of being original. Most are very confident in my abilities to create a site that is very functional, professional and clean looking. They will say, “Go with whatever you feel looks good”. My aim is to make sure it looks professional, clean and easy to navigate.

 

 

How long will my web design project take you?

 

Of course, the time it takes to complete a project depends upon the complexity of the project and my current workload. Once all client materials, such as written content and images have been submitted to me, a typical turn-around time for production of the layout prototype ranges from 2- 4 weeks. You know your Business a whole lot better than me, so as I receive images and content from you, everything should be completed in a very timely matter.  I always preach content, content, content to my clients. 

 

I will always bother you for the content (written materials & images) more than anything else, so be prepared for that.  If you want a website, but are lazy when it comes to delivering the content or just don't have any desire to write anything or get any images or give me ideas of what images to use, you might as well just pack it in and not even spend your money investing in a website, just being very honest here.  You are better of using that money, taking a trip to the islands and enjoying yourself.  I do not want to take anyone's hard earned money and put nothing on there or stuff that does not makes sense, you know?  content just for the sake of writing something.  I always preach to my Clients, when potential customers come to their site, they are seeking information, if there's nothing there, then they will just hit the back button on the browser. 

 

Once I have the site's written materials, I will work a lot faster and be a lot more efficient, naturally.  I understand some may not have the content, this is when I usually give them a little push and say, "in the Home section of the site, you should say something this, In the About us Section, you need something like that and so on.  This is why I always ask clients, "What is the purpose of this website and why do you feel you need a website".  I don't believe in doing a site for someone just because they want a website.  I remembered when I didn't know anything about computers and webdesign, I wanted a website, but I honestly couldn't tell you why I wanted one :-).  There are people like this out there, and I am always willing to guide them in another direction and give them time to think about why they REALLY need a site and for what purpose. 

 

 

What if I already have a Website?

 

Most of my Clients already have an Online presence. I am contacted when they feel like their site is not up to par and needs a facelift or a complete re-design, which is usually the case. Hate to say it, but so many websites out there are outdated and badly designed to the point its unusable.  

 

A lot of people start out with those 'easy to build' template driven website, that end up being a mess, basically. The previous websites for Springfieldnaz Gardens Church's & 5100 Lancaster's websites (See My Portfolio Section for my designs), they were really horrendous and just unusable.  Although they had the ability to change their own content and such, they were very frustrated because the admin area was not user friendly.  Their designs were not customized to suit their needs, so it ended up looking very dry.  Those two clients, I was really able to sit with them and come up with different ideas and we made some magic.

 

I personally don't like tinkering with a site that's already bad.  People that come to me that already own a website, their site is usually very unorganized.  Usually the design & everything about the site was bad from the beginning, so I always let them know that we are starting over completely. 

 

 

Do you work with International Clients?

 

Absolutely. That’s one of the great things about the Internet, it give us the ability to work with people from other parts of the world if the opportunity presents itself.  As long as you have an email address and we are able to communicate, we can work together, so please feel free.