Q: I need a web presence for my business, but I just don't know where to begin. How can I pull it all together cohesively?
A: I realize how difficult it can be to dive into a project such as this for the first time. This is why I offer my prospective clients an initial consultation in my office with no charge or obligation. During this time we will discuss your goals and create an outline for a site layout. I encourage you to bring any relevant graphics (logos, artwork, etc), music, and text that you would like to incorporate into your website. If you have neither graphics nor ideas for text, I can create them for you with your input and approval during the course of your site's development. Based upon how we agree to proceed, I will give you a rough estimate of the cost involved in building your website. It will then be up to you to decide whether or not you wish to hire me. I will also answer other questions, such as how to register a domain name for your website and how to choose a web hosting service that best fits your needs.

Q: I already have a website, but it's just not working for me, and I hate it! How can I fix it to better suit my image and my needs?
A: Much of my business comes from people like yourself who are dissatisfied with their existing websites. Most of the problems with these sites stem from the fact that they were cranked out by "cookie-cutter" web designers who build their products with stock templates and web design software programs. Unfortunately, sites designed using these programs often suffer from browser incompatibility and have a tendancy to display quite differently in different browsers. Some pages designed with Flash applications may display perfectly in IE but may not work well in Firefox. This is why I design all of my websites with raw HTML code that I write myself. I never use templates or web design software.

If your existing site was built using web design software such as Dreamweaver, I can certainly recreate it to your satisfaction, but I prefer to start over from scratch rather than overwrite and revise your site's existing code. It actually takes me less time to work this way, and it will be cheaper for you in the long run.

Q: I'm satisfied with my existing web site, but my web designer has disappeared into the Siberian hinterlands and now I need some changes and additions. Can you handle my occasional maintenance needs?
A: Maintaining a properly built website is not a problem. As long as you can provide me with the necessary information to access your site with my FTP program, I can easily make and upload changes and additions to your existing site based on my hourly fee. You will not be billed until my accumulated time reaches an hour or more.

Q: Can I use my logo on my new website?
A: Yes. All I need is a CD with a copy of your logo in a high resolution format.

Q: I want a website for my band. Will I be able to put my music on it?
A: Sure. All I need are your songs in MP3 format.

Q: Will the search engines be able to find my new website?
A: Search engine optimization is a priority for all websites designed by Big Al Productions. My sites are built with strong emphasis on keywords, viewable text and alternate text. I strive for an equal balance of eye-pleasing graphics and content-rich, item-specific text, as both of these factors are necessary to create a top-notch web presence.

If I am designing a brand new website for you, the expected wait time for the search engines to index and add your site to their data base is approximately three weeks. That may sound like a long time, but remember...search engines receive tens of thousands of submissions daily.

Q: What is your turnaround time?
A: Depending upon the volume of content, your site may take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks (or longer) to complete. A small site with three or four pages will be finished more quickly than a graphics-intensive site consisting of 12 or more pages.

Q: How much can I expect to pay?
A: Since I work from my home office, my overhead expenses are low, and I pass this savings on to my clients. My hourly rate is $65, and my time billing is fair and honest. For a frame of reference, a small site such as this one is in the $400 - $500 range. A site similar to the one I designed for Mr. Ryder Antiques & Art would cost between $1200 - $1500, while a site like the one I built for the Wild Cat Education & Conservation Fund would cost $3400 - $3800.

Q: How is your payment schedule structured?
A: I require one third of my estimated cost before I begin work on your project. The balance is due after your site is up and running.

Q: Can you provide me with references?
A: Gladly! Please don't be shy about asking for them.

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