Frequently Asked Questions

What services do you offer?

We offer web site development and maintenance. See the Services page for more information.

Once my web site is up, can I make my own updates to it?

Yes, you can do your own web site maintenance. Please note that to modify text you will need to either own and know how to use web development & publishing software, or be comfortable making updates via your hosting service's control panel. We do not provide publishing software, training, or help desk services.

If you wish to manage photos and/or videos on your web site, one way to do this is via one of the several online management and sharing services that allow people to upload and share photos or videos (Flickr, Vimeo, Smug Mug, etc.). You would need to ask me to place "hooks" on your web site to pull in your external content.

If you are looking for a template product that generates web pages (such as those offered by some hosting services) or a site that has a GUI user interface for a content management system, we are not the right developers for you.

What is the best way to contact you?

The best way to contact me is by email. I check my email more often than I check phone messages. In addition, email gives me the opportunity to provide more indepth answers to your questions than I could in a phone conversation.

What is the procedure for getting a new web site done by Lakecrew Web Design?

Please reference our Process page for a detailed description of the web site development process.

How much would a site cost?

That will depend upon several factors:

How many pages you want for your site

How many photos you want in your photo gallery

Whether you wish to use a template design or want a custom look

Whether you would like to include flash or other specialty components

We offer five (5) web site packages, each of which offers different amounts of pages, photos and other elements. For a side by side comparison of our packages, please see the Development Prices page.

How long will it take to produce my site?

That will depend upon the complexity of your site. But in general, once the design has been agreed upon (this process may take a week or so), we should be able to complete your site within 2 to 3 months. CAVEAT: I can work only as fast as you provide the content.

Also, you will want to review completed pages and submit change requests on a frequent basis to keep the process flowing. (HINT: Do NOT wait until the project is nearing completion to do this!)

How many designs will I be able to choose from?

That depends upon the package you have chosen - see below.

Nickel and Bronze packages: Come with the design already done. So you should pick the template that has a design you like.

Silver package: Includes one custom design, with additional design(s) created upon request ($75 each).

Gold or Platinum package: I will provide up to 3 designs. They will be created one at a time. In other words, if you don't like the first one, I will do a second one, and so on. Of course I'm hoping that you will love the first one!

Your active participation in the design process is critical. I am not psychic - so if you don't give me detailed information regarding what you're looking for, there is a greater chance you won't be happy with the design I produce.

You've done 3 designs for my web site and I don't like any of them. Now what?

If you are not happy after the third design has been presented, I will refund all but $75 of your down payment and cancel the project.

What am I (the client) responsible for?

In a nutshell:

Selecting the package you want.

Selecting the design you wish to use (template or custom, depending on the package).

Selecting and making arrangements for a hosting service plan and domain name registration.

Determining how you wish to organize your site's information (topics and sub-topics).

Providing the most important component of all: Content.

Providing honest and swift feedback throughout the process.

Reviewing completed pages and informing us of any necessary corrections or additions.

I saw one of the other sites done by Lakecrew and didn't think it contained enough [pick one] a) information, b) photos, c) something else. Would my site end up like that?

You (the client) are in complete control of your web site's content. It will be up to you to put together and send me the material that you wish placed on your site. My role is just to make it accessible and attractively presented on the internet.

What formats should I use for text and photos?

Text: MS Word, Excel, emails, etc. (lots of flexibility here, but it must be digital)
Photos: Digital - either originals or scanned with a resolution of 300 dpi. I prefer jpg (jpeg) format. Please do NOT send .bmp files or photos embedded in Word documents.

How do I get my text and photos to you?

You can either send them as email attachments or via snail mail on a CD. If photos and text are not in the appropriate format, I will charge an additional fee to convert them (please see Additional Features & Services).

How many photos can I put on one page?

Photos can be a wonderful addition to your text pages, but I do recommend a limit of 4-5 large photos per page. Any number greater than that should really be placed in a photo gallery. Statistics have shown that most people do not want to have to scroll more than a couple of times on a web page.

We need a hosting service plan - what do we do?

We strongly recommend that you choose your own hosting service provider and work directly with them to establish an account. Doing so will likely result in a better deal than anything we can offer you. If you need help picking a plan from the provider you select, we would be happy to provide a recommendation.

We need a domain name (web site URL) - what do we do?

We suggest that you ask the hosting service you choose to take care of your domain name registration.

When do I pay for the site?

Please read our Payment information.

I want a consistent look to my site - can you do that?

Absolutely! And here is how:

I use cascading style sheets to ensure that the same set of fonts and colors are used throughout your site.

I use Dreamweaver templates and/or server side includes to ensure that elements such as the header, navigation (menus and buttons), and footer are the same on every page.

In addition to ensuring consistency, these tactics also ease maintenance -- as layout and styling modifications only have to be made to a handful of files and NOT to every page.

I have things I'd like to discuss by phone. What is the best time to call?

Feel free to call me M-F, 9-4 CT to discuss any details: 512.264.2637. If I'm not here, leave a message and I will return your call.

I don't like (fill in the blank) that you've done on my site - what do I do?

Please, please, please let me know as soon as possible! This is YOUR site, and I will normally be more than happy to make the changes that you request. I will of course advise you when a request goes against industry standards of web design, or would cause performance or maintenance problems.

I want my site to turn up on search engine results - can you make that happen?

Following are several ways to optimize web sites for search engines. I will do the first 3 and you are responsible for the last:

Use title tags

Use keyword meta tags

Use image alt tags

Provide rich content and keep it updated

If your package includes it, I will also submit your site to Google and other search engines.
Note that, even with these actions, it may take anywhere from several weeks to several months for search engine spiders to find and index a new web site.

What if I discover things that need to be changed after my site is "live"?

I provide 2 weeks of free maintenance after your site goes up (with the exception of the Nickel package). That gives us time to "tweak" the site (make minor changes) and/or fix any problems that are discovered. Large volumes of changes will not be accepted nor will new pages/photos be added under this offer.

After my site is "live", can I still send you updates or new stuff?

I provide maintenance services under a paid maintenance contract. If you are interested, please see our Maintenance page. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our maintenance plans.

I have started a web site and would like help finishing it. Do you provide that service?

If you have started a new site and need someone to "finish it", my approach for such a project would be to treat it as a modified redesign. That is, I would create all new pages using most of the elements from the site that was in progress. I offer a 20% discount if you already have a finished design. Otherwise, the price would be the same as for a new web site.

If you did not find an answer to your question(s), please email me with the specifics.

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