Frequently Asked Questions

All quotes include 2 sets of changes.
Custom Logo Design $75.00
Poster Design $100.00
Invitation Design $50 - $100
Brochure Design 2-sided, 3-fold, 8.5" x 11' $150.00
Direct Mail Postcard $75.00
Business Card, Letterhead $50.00
   
   
   

Why use me?
I'm a professional with years of experience in design and marketing. Web site design and development is trickier and more tedious then meets the eye. You must have patience, technical and artistic talent, as well as experience. Most of my customers have attempted to build there site on their own, get frustrated, and that is where I step in.

Once you gather your materials and forward them to me, an initial web site can be posted within a couple of days. If you need help preparing your information I can also help you with that. I will hold your hand every step of the way and make sure you are completely satisfied. I want you to brag about your web site and refer me to your friends. Your web site development process will be an entertaining and a fun (verses frustrating) process for you.

My services are affordable, I'm quick and a pleasure to work with!


Web site design rate:
Price:
  • 5 page site
  • 1 Order or "Contact Us" form
  • Custom logo/header
  • Roll-over buttons
  • Meta Tags & Site Submission to major search engines
  • Anchor tag navigation/links (for long pages)
  • Table Formatting
  • Editing (sizing, etc.) and adding 10 photos (Photos are to be supplied by customer. Photos can be .jpg, .gif or .tiff)
  • (Includes 1 set of changes)
  • Please send text by e-mail or disc. Text can be within e-mail or as Word attachment. Typing will be an additional charge.
  • Uploading / FTP site
  • Includes one set of modifications per page
minimum charge
$500.00
  • Hosting (rent on the Internet / server)

1 year up front minimum = $99.00

Additional items:
  • Additional modifications/updates
  • Additional pages
$50.00 per hour
$100.00 per web page
or charged per item -
see below
  • Converting files or pages to Acrobat / .pdf, attaching link and attaching link to FREE Acrobat Reader.
$25.00 per Acrobat page
  • Photos Editing (sizing, adding shadows, improving image)
  • Scanning Photos

$10.00 per image

$10.00 per image

  • Typing and formating
    (12 pt. per 8" x 11" page)
$40.00
  • Adding Quicktime files with links to FREE Reader
  • Adding sound
$25.00 each
  • FLASH animated introduction page with music - 15 seconds
$250. 00
per 15 seconds
  • Animated headers & animated .gifs
$40.00 each
  • Additional forms (up to 20 fields)
$100.00 each
  • POP- Up Ads
  • Animated Banner Advertisements

$150.00 each
$150.00 each

  • Stock photography sourcing + pricing
    (site owner / client is responsible for purchase)
$10.00 per image
  • Shopping Cart

$50.00 set-up
$15.00 per item

  • Opt-in Bulk E-mail Advertisements / Forms
$250.00 each
  • Copy writing
50.00/hour
  • Press Release
    (2 pages + one set of modifications)
$200.00
  • Print Projects
$40.00 per hour
* I don't accept credit cards - Checks and Cash please.
You can use PayPal.com also if you choose.
Payment is requested within 30 days of completion of the initial site.
   

You can have a custom made, professional looking web site up for
$1000. + $70. Domain name(2 years) + $25(per month hosting) = $1095.

(Other web sites may cost less, but they use a template system that is not friendly to customizing.)
Note: If you want fancy programming like a custom search engine, online calculator, an auction site, etc. I will need to bring on a programmer at an additional cost.

*Note: The site owner is responsible for purchasing or supplying their own images. Content of the site must be original and not be taken from a copyrighted web site or document without written permission from its owner.

To purchase stock photography, follow this link.


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Domain Name:
To see what is available, log onto http://www.Verisign.com and type in the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) /Domain name that you are interested in. The site will tell you if your desired name is available and suggest some alternatives if it is not. The cost to lease a domain name is $70.00 for 2 years (Verisign.com). There are companies that offer the lease for less, but make sure that the domain name is registered under your name, not theirs.

Hosting:
Hosting is paying rent for your spot on the Internet or World Wide Web (www.) You are also paying for some other technical services (depending on your package).


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Search Engine Submission:
Your domain name is important, but people will find you on the search engines with your "Meta tags" that appear in the coding of your web page. They are invisible when you view the site. We should also include as many of these keywords in the body of your web site (that is viewable) in complete sentence form. Once your site is complete, I will submit your site to the search engines. Search engines also like to see links to other websites on your site (it's friendly).

To view your competition's meta tags log onto a search engine like google.com and type in keywords that a prospective customer might use to find your web site. Click on your competition's home page and then click on "View" then "Source" from your drop down menu. You will see the web site's HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) code. Towards the top of the page will be the meta tags.

Once submitted to search engines, sites are reviewed. Then they are posted. Sometimes the review process takes months. There is also no guarantee where, on the list, your site will be posted. It is very competitive. It is also like being in the yellow pages; you are listed, but why would someone pick you over another listing unless they had a specific reason?

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Marketing/Advertising - Driving Traffic to your site:
Search engine submission is a passive approach to driving traffic to your web site (as stated above). If you want an aggressive approach you must use marketing/advertising techniques. You can use both traditional (off-line) or on-line advertising. The example I use is; "Did you learn about Yahoo or Amazon from a search engine?" The answer is "No." You found out about them because they had an aggressive advertising campaign. They invested in branding themselves using traditional advertising; television, radio and print. Not that you need to use an expensive approach, but you do need to invite consumers to you site in some way.

Guerilla Marketing - Inexpensive Advertising:
Inexpensive ways to market your site include networking and handing out business cards with your web site address printed on them. Have your web site address on all your printed materials. Start collecting e-mail addresses for all your customers and potential customers and generate mailing lists. Advertise "specials" and "promotions" via e-mail.

Affiliate / Strategic Relationships:
Share links to and from other (non-competitive) websites; "reciprocal links". Share the traffic and get a percentage of the sales that you generate for your colleague and visa versa. Search engines favor websites with links to other websites,

Opt-in Bulk E-mailing - Direct Marketing:
I suggest using an opt-in bulk e-mailing service. You can expect a 1% click through rate on bulk e-mailing. The key to this type of direct marketing is to have an emotional appealing advertisement and for the customer to make an impulse purchase. Opt-in direct mail is legal as long as long as the receiver can "Opt-out" and be taken off your mailing list if they receiver requests this.

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Credit Card Processing:
If you do not have a merchant account (credit card processing), www.PayPal.com will process credit cards at a minimal fee for you. Opening up your own merchant account can be expensive if you are just getting started, If you have a merchant account, ask if they have on-line shopping cart software. If they do not, that will be an additional charge depending what software service your merchant account is compatible with. An alternative is just to have an on-line order form.

E-Mail or Telephone:
To receive your orders, you will need to ask your customers to fill out a form (which goes to your e-mail address) or telephone you. You can get a FREE e-mail address at a number of web sites (example: http://www.hotmail.com). But, if you don't have Internet access you may want them to telephone you. We tell them to call you on your site, but many people are shy and like to e-mail.

Starting a Business:
Think of a web site as an extension of your "brick and mortar" business and use it as a marketing tool. If you don't have a "brick & mortar" business, you will now. You need to run your web site business just as you would a traditional business: Excellent customer service, competitive rates, marketing/advertising/public relations, timely delivery, and working with a sense of urgency.

How to prepare for your Web site design: 
  • Make an outline of your business.
  • Categorize it into break-out (and sub break-out) pages: Home, About Us, Portfolio, Products, Contact Info, etc.
  • Visit your competition's sites to get ideas. Decide what works and what doesn't. What you like and what you don't.
  • Gather Web site addresses (URL's) that you'd like to model your site like both graphically (color scheme, style, etc.) and navigatioinaly.
  • Gather materials that you would like on your site: photographs, resumes, biographies, mission statement, philosophy, product shots, etc. If possible, put materials into digital format for e-mailing to me (or send me the materials and I can scan photos, etc.).
  • For shopping cart sites, have categories, a style number system set up, and copy or selling points and prices for each product. Also, shipping charges will need to be created.
  • Don't Fret... We can always tweak the site as we go. Nothing is written in stone. This is not print. The beauty of the web is that you can always make changes and update your site.
  • A note: It always saves time if you are organized as possible and know what you want from the start, but don't let it become procrastination from starting the project.

Please contact me with additional questions: Lisa@creatingmarks.com

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Creating Marks phone: 818-759-0402 | e-mail: Lisa@creatingmarks.com
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