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  Web Design Project Process and Information

Retainer Fee Information

A non-refundable retainer fee is due before the project begins; no exception will be made.  We require a retainer fee in proportion to the amount of the web design services you are purchasing.  Our reason for this requirement is that website design and development is purely service work and our time cannot be recovered.  A retainer fee ensures that we'll be paid for the time we spend on any project.  Installments are available for projects $7,500 or more, to be agreed upon by both parties prior to the project's start.

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Guidelines for Project Design / Re-Design

Experience has shown us that the best web sites are produced for the lowest cost when these guidelines are followed:

  • Use email. Email is the most effective method for communicating with us, particularly because it gives both our client and our company a written record.
  • Be clear on what your goals are. Let us know what you want from your Web site.
  • Decide what content you want to present on your Web site. We will be in charge of designing the how and where - the formatting and layout.
  • Deliver content to us in an organized and timely manner. Text you submit to us should first be be finalized, proofread by you and ready for publication. Graphics should be named carefully and labeled correctly so that we have no problems in determining which graphic goes with which context.  You can email graphics or we can provide you with an FTP site.
  • Offer clear, helpful feedback to design draft(s). Remember that the process consists of 2 rounds of revisions from the initial layout you select.
  • Leave it to us to produce a professional product. Be flexible and aware that time is limited.

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Design Process Steps

Step1:

Once you have selected a design package or approved a custom quote prepared especially for you, and paid the retainer fee, we'll ask you for several items so we can move forward.  A "design" is the color scheme and overall graphical layout of what your new website or re-design will look like.  We must have an approved design before your site will be built.

The items we'll need from you to prepare the sample designs are:

  1. Any existing logo that you have or currently use;

  2. Any color schemes that you currently use or would like to use on your new or re-designed website;

  3. Other websites around the web that you like; and

  4. For layout and coding purposes, whether or not you plan to make non-design changes to the website yourself.

When sending the information outlined in numbers 1-4 above to us, please make sure that you know what you want.  It is imperative that you have some idea of the way you want your website to look as we do not provide endless design samples.  Take your time and determine what you like before you begin this step of the process.  If the design process goes beyond 2 rounds of revisions to the design sample you have chosen, you may be charged an additional fee for the extra time needed to tweak your design.  So, please be sure to make sure you know what you're looking to have designed. 

Once your design ideas are received, we will then prepare a design sample(s).  We may prepare one sample or several, depending on what information you provide.  You will then be presented with a link to the sample(s) for your critique of the sample(s).  We will work with you to tweak a design that you like.  However, endless design samples will not be provided.  Again, just make sure you know what you want before we get started.

After you have approved a design sample, we can move onto Step 2.

Step 2:

In this phase of your project, we begin gathering and compiling information, either supplied by you, or supplied by us, in order to design the layout or site map, which will establish the navigation links of your site.  During this phase of the project, you will be asked to provide the links or pages that you would like to see on the site and then provide us with the content for each link/page of the site.

Step 3:

During this phase of the project, using the approved design sample and the information from Step 2, we'll prepare a skeleton structure of your site.  No actual coding is implemented during this phase as this is only a preview of the design you have chosen and the layout or site map you have provided to us.  You will be required to review this phase of the process and approve it as well before moving onto the next step.

Step 4:

Once you have approved Step 3 of the project, your website's coding will be implemented.  At this point in the development, it is too late to make any changes to the design or layout of the site without incurring additional fees. 

If your entire website has been built and coded and you then decide to change direction and want labor-intensives items changed, such as Flash elements or online forms, we may require you to pay your remaining balance before these changes will be made.  Why?  Because by the time we reach Step 4, you will have been given ample opportunity to make changes to these time-consuming items before Step 4 is implemented.

All coding of websites is done by-hand.  We do not use automated coders of any sort as they will produce bad coding and thus make you less desirable to search engines and multiple browsers.  Therefore, this is why we ask you to approve each step before proceeding to the next, to make sure you are aware, that by the time we reach Step 4 and coding has been applied to your site, it's too late to make any coding changes, without incurring additional fees.

Step 5:

Final review of your site.  Once your site is reviewed by you a final time, we require final payment on your account.  After final payment is received, your site will then be loaded into your website's hosting account and your domain will be active.  At your request, we can also mail you a CD containing all website files to use as a back-up method for your site project.

All websites remain on our web servers until the account is paid in-full.  No domain rights, nor passwords to website hosting nor any other items will be turned over to customer until customer's account is paid in-full.

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Copyright Information

Websites are not automatically copyrighted and thus we will not affix any copyright information to your website until you have properly obtained authorization for this privilege.  You can obtain copyright approval from the Library of Congress on your own using the following information:

Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave SE
Washington DC 20559 (202) 707-3000

You may also obtain additional information by visiting the Library of Congress's website at:  www.copyright.gov

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