Webservices for Clients and BNI Members

At the first meeting we will discuss the following items.

• I will ask you a several questions about your company and work. What do you sell? What are your services? Who are your customers? 
• We will review previous or current marketing efforts and language. What printed pieces do you have? Where have you advertised in the past? What has been effective?
• I will ask you to send me your corporate ID information including logos, colors, and other identifying components.
• Other assets will be identified including existing photos and video.
• Budgets and timelines will be covered.
• Current technology vendors will be identified, and username/passwords will be requested where necessary.
• We will explore you or your staff's willingness and ability to manage web content.
• Your domain space will be reviewed for completeness and security.

This is what we need to form an initial proposal/agreement.

It is very important at the beginning of the project to do a full domain review.

Your domains is your company's signpost on the web.

What are we looking for?

• Review of your primary domain (usually .com)
  • Do you own it either directly or through assignment?
  • Can you control the domain, particularly the domain settings?
  • What are you being charged per year for renewals?
  • Do you pay for extra settings?
  • What are the assigned name servers and who controls them?
•  Alternate domains to protect your domain space.
  • First we will pursue the .net and .org versions.
  • Then consider sound alikes and alternate spellings.
  • Finally we consider product and service based domains.
•  Handling possible negotiations for domains already owned elsewhere.
• Making sure all your domains are properly configured.

A standard proposal/agreement for the main project is typically one page, clearly articulating the tasks and timelines. Most web proposals are fixed price estimates unless there are components that cannot be clearly defined.

• A 50% retainer is required on signing.
• Balance due on agreed upon milestones.
• Or at the completion of the project.

Other recurring costs.

• There are annual costs for hosting your site and basic email that range from $120 to $480 per year depending on size and complexity of the site and are due annually the month before expiration.
• There are annual costs for domain registration/management as required.
• Advanced email services may require additional charges.
• Other ongoing monthly costs for edits and support may be negotiated if required, though most clients manage their own websites.

We have an established set of procedures and policies that ensure that all work is foundational and can be easily adapted going forward.

This applies to every area of the project:

• All projects are carefully documented.
• All logos and graphics are created in Adobe Illustrator as vector-based art.
• All websites use a carefully curated set of add-ons that are commercially licensed and supported.
• Production websites are backed up nightly and we maintain a 12-month plus rolling window of daily backups.
• All client data is backed up in real-time to the cloud throughout the day.
• We support PayPal and all major credit cards along with checks.
• Appropriate training for your project.

All sites are tested and designed to pass core tests in the following areas:

• Search Engine Optimized:  All sites are formatted for search engine compatibility. This includes alt tags for main images, tailored descriptions for key pages, and proper formats for links and related navigation.
• Mobile Compliance:  Sites must be dynamically mobile compliant in all standard sizes (phone, tablet, and computer).
• Section 508 Accessible: Modern websites must be accessible the sight-impaired visitors and others with disabilities.

After your site is launched and post-launch tasks are complete (typically two weeks) we can discuss pursuing pay-per-click advertising via Google, FaceBook, and Linked In.

All our websites use an editor that is similar to Microsoft Word. 

• Basic editing skills can be learned in less than 30 minutes.
• Sites are engineered to be easy to edit.
• The advanced editor can be learned quickly.
• We will provide training and documentation specific to your web site.

After your site is launched there are a number of important tasks to undertake.

• Create and submit site maps and other seo data points.
• Submission to Google, Bing, and Yandex.
• Confirm that key pages are included in the search engines.
• Stat review to confirm navigation is working as designed.
• Review of bad url calls to capture and redirect them the correct pages.
• For existing websites, confirm that all key pages are redirected to the new pages.

We can help you get noticed quickly on Google, Facebook, Linked In and others:

• In spite of the frequent claims you cannot be on the first page of Google organically.
• The only way most companies and services can improve their presence is through paid per click advertising.
•  The process involved two steps
  • First as a paid consulting engagement:
    • A systematic review of your company, its market, and its products and services.
    • The creation of an initial set of ads and key words
    • The establishment of regional and demographics values.
    • The proposal of an initial budget.
  • Second the execution of the plan for 3-6 months:
    • Regular review of traffic and conversions
    • Minor adjustments as required.
    • Full review at the conclusion of the recommended initial period.

We have implemented a number of ecommerce solutions using:

• Shopify
• Shift4Shop
• WooCommerce
• Vendor specific solutions (Wix, Squarespace, and others)

We can help you create, update, or maintain your ecommerce solution and can provide full estimates after an initial discussion.

I can support a web development project with a broad range of other services.

• Portrait, general, and product photography.
• Short form corporate video.
• Logo and general graphic design and publication design.
• Copywriting and editing.
• Marketing research.
• Google Adwords Campaigns and other social media.

All work is considered work for hire and final work products are yours when and if you need them if your invoices are paid in full.

• This includes:
  • Final photographs, logos, and publication files.
  • Industry standard backups of your website that can be restored to compatible platforms.
  • Any relevant documentation.
  • Final video or audio renderings.
  • Domain names purchased and managed on your behalf.
  • Full administrative access to your website management interface.
• It does not include:
  • Intermediate work and source files.
  • Software used to create and manage your assets.
  • Access to the webserver management consoles.
  • Software licenses for products maintained globally for all clients.