Web Design FAQ
Answers to common questions about our web design service.
We have also included some “infrequently asked questions”. 
If you can’t see your question here, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Pre Sales
Do we need to meet face to face?
Not typically, however meetings can be arranged if required. Most communication for small web projects can easily be handled via telephone and email. You can watch the development of your website live on our server.
Will you provide a free quote?
Yes, if you complete our web design brief and your requirements are not particularly complex or unique we will quickly assess your project and organise a customised quote at no charge.
Will you provide a free basic requirements analysis of my custom website project?
Yes, we do this in order to provide a quote. However, if your project requires anything beyond a basic requirements assessment we will bill at our standard hourly rate for any consulting work. We will advise you of this prior to undertaking the work.
Is a deposit required?
Yes, we usually ask for a deposit of 50% before beginning work on your project.
Will you buy a domain name for us?
Yes, if you require a new domain just ask. The choice of domain is quite important for branding and search engine ranking purposes and there are some constraints to be aware of regarding domain availability and legal rights to the domain licence. We can provide expert advice and help you select the right domain for your needs.
Graphic design
How are your websites different from other design firms and agencies?
Many web designers produce websites that will not generate the leads or sales your after. Similarly, advertising agencies tend to focus on producing creative materials that might not necessarily provide a return on investment.
Our focus is on producing websites that look great as well as generate tangible results – boosting leads, sales and profits.
We are marketing experts who understand how to use the web to grow your business. We use talented graphic designers to enhance your brand and we combine this with our knowledge of search engine optimisation (SEO) and conversion rate optimisation (CRO) to deliver a significant return on investment.
I have lots of existing artwork – logos, brand, print campaigns, etc. Can we use any of this for the web design?
Absolutely. The more ‘raw materials’ the web designer has to work with the better.
To design your web pages we require the following:
- Company logo (we can have this designed this if required)
- Any other colour schemes you might use for stationery, etc.
- Your target market
- A short list of websites that you like
- A short list of your closest competitors
My usual graphic designer does very nice print work. Can I have them design the site and you guys do the development?
We have tried this in the past but it proved to be a major headache and the results were not up to our usual high standards. Web design is quite specialised and very different from print design. These days we only work with a small number of expert web designers who have proven experience in this area.
Will I have a choice of graphic designer?
Yes. Please have a look at some examples of our previous work. Your preferences will determine which designer we engage on your behalf.
Content preparation
Should I write my own web copy?
Unless you are a skilled marketing copywriter we recommend paying a professional to write your copy. We are happy to organise these services on your behalf.
What format should I use for the text?
Text can be supplied as plain text, rich text, MS Word or copied from an existing website. If using MS Word to write content, please only use basic/simple formatting, such as sub-headings, bullets, ordered lists and bold text.
What format should I use for the images?
Images can be supplied in any common file format – typically GIF, JPEG or PNG. Large, high quality images are best (we will optimise them for web use).
Content management
I only need to make occasional small updates to my website content. Can you do this for me and how much does it cost?
Yes. We do not charge any extra for up to four minor updates per year – one per quarter. Each update may consist of several small changes to text and images on existing pages and/or adding a new page or two. Any work beyond this is billed at our standard hourly rate.
I want to make frequent changes to my web content. Can you help?
Yes. We normally recommend developing a website with a Content Management System (CMS) that enables you to easily edit your own content – text, images, etc. – without affecting the overall look and feel of your site. We provide initial training and ongoing support for using the CMS.
Hosting
Can I use my own web hosting provider?
We include 12 months of hosting and support with every small business website produced but you are free to move your site to another host at any time. We only use industry standard open source technology which means that there is absolutely no vendor ‘lock-in’. (However, please note that we do not provide support for any websites not hosted on our servers.)
Do you provide email hosting?
Yes, although it is not our core focus. We provide industry standard and up-to-date mail server software that you may use to manage email accounts “@yourdomain”. Alternatively, you may prefer to use a dedicated email hosting platform or an in-house company mail server. The choice is yours.
Technical support
Do you provide ongoing technical support for web and email hosting services?
Yes.
Do you provide ongoing support for my use of the Content Management System?
Yes.
Do you provide telephone support?
Email is the primary means of requesting support. This gives both parties a searchable record of the issue and the resolution. You are welcome to phone us if your enquiry is urgent.
Do you provide onsite support or training?
We provide training and support by phone or email only. Onsite visits would require additional resources which would increase our costs and prices significantly. We prefer to keep these costs, and our prices, to a minimum.
Can anyone from my office contact you for support?
We ask you to nominate a “Primary Administrator” to serve as the main point of contact for technical support. We provide this person with initial training and ongoing technical support and they can then train and support other administrators of the site. (You can have multiple administrators.)
General
What do you do differently from other web designers or developers?
We produce great looking websites that are optimised to attract targeted search traffic. This means that people who are genuinely interested in your products or services are more likely to find you on the web. Furthermore, we optimise sites to lift conversion rates so that more of that traffic is converted into enquiries, leads or sales.
How will potential customers know about my website?
We ensure that your web pages are coded in a search engine friendly way and we optimise your website’s structure, navigation and copy to target relevant keywords. This means that search engines can effectively understand and index your content. We can also implement additional online and offline promotional campaigns to bring in more traffic.
How are you different from other web design/development agencies?
- Integrated solutions. We combine proven online and offline marketing techniques to drive customers to your website and dramatically boost your leads and sales conversion rates.
- Results-focused. We never rely solely on what we ‘think’ will work. Instead, we use evidence-based data-driven methods to refine, tweak and optimise your marketing systems for the maximum possible ROI.
- Cost-effective. We provide top agency quality at affordable small business rates.
- Fully managed hosting and support. We take care of everything from web design, server administration, security, automated nightly backups, software updates, and more.
What kind of companies do you work with?
We work with start-up’s, sole traders and small sized businesses.
Can you provide a quick quote for my website project?
Yes, we sure can!