It really depends on the scope of the project, but typically websites on average take 3-4 weeks. We schedule a time frame after the information-gathering meetings and after contacting any outside services. We also provide regular updates on progress and pride ourselves on being able to meet or exceed your most critical deadline. One thing to keep in mind: it’s best not to wait until the last minute to avoid the possibility of rush charges. We do make every effort to adjust our schedules to accommodate your needs.

The answer is MAYBE. Please call immediately to see if we can rework our obligations to other clients and our families. If we can take on your rush job, please don’t be shocked — we’re going to add a 25% rush charge to our usual rates. That said, we don’t want to leave anyone in the lurch. If we can’t help you, we’ll try to put you in touch with someone who can. Fair enough?

If we are building a website for you, you will be given your own URL (web page address) where you may view both the draft and revised stages of the project. We should mention that all of our works-in-progress are protected by copyright laws. You don’t own the designs until they are paid for, in full.

All copyrights are transferred over to you upon clearance of full payment. We do entrust you to verify that any original images that you have given to us will not infringe upon any copyright. Also, if we provided you with several designs to choose from, only the final design is the one that you own.

You shall have the option of receiving your images via e-mail attachment, disk, and/or hard copy. We can send you the project in the software file format of your choice. Transfer of full copyright will occur after receipt and clearance of final payment.

We create files using high-end graphics software. You can not open or use these files unless you have the software and the expertise. So, we convert these files to various other formats. The basic file types provided are:

PDF – Files saved in this format can vary in quality depending on the need and can generally be opened on any computer.

TIFF – Best format for photographs that will be used for printing and placing inside other documents.

JPG – Best format for photographs that will be used on web pages or sending via e-mail.

EPS – A format for vector graphics that will be used for printing.

GIF/PNG – Best for vector graphics that will be used on web pages or sending via e-mail.

We will be providing files to you at the proper resolution for their intended purpose.

Images that are viewed on a computer monitor will never have the exact same colors as what will come out of your printer (or your neighbor’s printer, for that matter). The reason for this is not only that every monitor is different, but color created from light (your monitor) looks different from color created from ink (your printer). On top of that, your camera, scanner, monitor, and printer all talk different color languages and use different ink formulas. None of them map the same actual color to the same values. This is why designers frequently remind clients that color matching of the materials they are viewing may be imprecise.

A domain name is the address of a particular website. For example, our domain name is pixelskydesign.com. To register a domain name, you can contact a company such as Network Solutions, Go Daddy, or iPowerWeb. The most common domain names will end in .com (for commercial businesses), .org (for non-profit organizations, or .edu (for educational institutions), but there are many more to choose from.

Yes, if you would like domain name registration, we will be happy to do that for you.

When someone visits your website, they don’t access our computers or your computers. Web hosting is a service you contract for, where you are renting “server” space on a computer that will “host” your website. It is a place for your domain name, web page files, and graphics to reside. The web-surfing public doesn’t access your computer (or mine). They access computers that host the pages for you.

Most hosting companies offer monthly and yearly packages. Hosting fees vary greatly depending on your needs. If you have a basic website that doesn’t need any special features, you shouldn’t have to pay more than $3/month. But, your hosting package will need special features if you plan to have a storefront on your website, if you will be connected to a database, or if you have special programming requirements. These types of hosting services can cost anywhere from $15-300/month.

There are thousands of hosting companies to choose from. We work with a couple of different companies that seem reasonably priced, offer some extra bells and whistles, and have reliable track records. You do not need to use the companies we use. But, for the ease and comfort of clients who may be starting from scratch and have no idea how to go about getting what they need, we’d be glad to get you set up.

There are quite a few factors that are going to affect the ultimate cost of your website. These factors include how big the site is, if you will sell products on your website, how many images will need to be prepared, and how interactive the site will be. In conclusion, we don’t offer fixed pricing as certain projects involve more work.

Basic philosophy of life…It helps to keep it simple for purchasers. “Per page” is language anyone can understand. We have several problems with this, however. What’s in a page? Our version and your version may clash. On a website, a page can be never-ending. So, you could break it down and say 2 images and 500 words per page, but that leaves you with little flexibility. And what about this: Let’s say that during the design process you decide to turn your “socks and underwear” page into two separate pages, one for socks and one for underwear. The content hasn’t changed but you’re charged for the additional page? It’s not an extreme task…it’s called “cut & paste.” So, having a general idea of the page count is more of a way to understand the general scope of the work and what it will take to design good navigation, rather than being directly related to price.

A static web site is one that is written in HTML only, meaning there is no database that it draws on. That doesn’t mean that it never changes, it’s just that changes must be made in an HTML software program. Most websites that have product catalogs and an ability to accept credit cards online are dynamic. All the information actually resides in a database that updates the website automatically. Dynamic websites usually cost more to develop, as they require more complex coding and programming.

Once your website has been submitted to the top search engines they may require several weeks, or even months to actually list your website in their directory. How fast your website is listed depends on each individual search engine’s database update schedule. You can speed up the process, though. Read more about marketing your website.