Frequently Asked Questions
How does the web hosting, lead capture, and automated email follow-up work?Are there free automated email follow-up systems that I can use?
Who writes the content for the follow-up newsletters?
What types of topics would we actually write about?
What do you mean by Customized Website Designs?
Why are your prices not listed on your website?
How long do you guarantee your prices?
Do we have to meet in person?
How do I pay you?
How do I get started?
How does the Web Hosting, Lead Capture, Automated Email Follow-up work?
Wikipedia states that, "A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to provide their own website accessible via the World Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center."
The bottom line is that a website is not accessible to the public until it is hosted on a server (either owned by you or provided by a web hosting company). Also, your email addresses (that match your website domain names) are also provided through your hosting company.
When choosing a hosting company you want to look at server reliability, how often they back-up their servers, customer service, priority support, and features offered. We can walk you through the process so that you can choose the hosting provider that you feel is best for your website(s).
We offer website hosting as a service in order to make it easier for you to keep everything in one place.
A Lead Capture system is used to build lists of your website visitors. Email lists are assets of your business. These lists are the prospects and clients who are sent regular emails through an automated service.
We use either Aweber Communications or Constant Contact for our lead capture and email system. Each require a nominal monthly fee. We will manage these assets of your business for you, but they do not belong to us.
Be aware that some website developers will hold your assets as a way to make you commit to staying with them (long term) even if you are not satisfied with the service being provided. We believe that this is unethical and unacceptable. This is your business and the lists of people on your list belong to you.
Think of us as the property management company of your real estate investments. You own the property but we have a set of keys. We take care of the details so you don't have to be bothered with the day to day management.
We take care of the set-up and maintenance of the lead capture and email follow-up services for you. After you sign up for Aweber or Constant Contact, you will simply forward us your welcome emails so we will have your user name and password in order for us to set up and manage these systems for you. These will be kept in a secure environment with our own usernames and passwords.
Again, it is crucial for you to know where your website is hosted and where your emailing lists are kept. We can walk you through the registration to these services which will simply include your contact information and method of payment. This initial process should take only a few minutes of your time.
Are there free automated email follow-up systems that I can use?
There are other follow-up systems available. However I will only work with Aweber Communications or Constant Contact because by taking the extra time to work with many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) they have one of the best overall deliverability records and strict adherence to the US Federal CAN-SPAM Law.
Who writes the emails for the follow-up newsletters?
This too, is totally up to you. No one knows your business better than you do. So you can write them, and email them to me and I'll take care of the mechanics from there. Or if you prefer I can take care of it all.
What types of topics would we actually write about?
One of the goals of a regular newsletter is to stay in front of your target audience. You want to provide them with valuable information and special offers while at the same time ensuring that you remain profitable. Obviously, exactly what to say and offer will depend on what type of business you have. We will absolutely help you with this!
What do you mean by "Customized Website Designs"?
In order to save you money and time we work mostly with website templates that are individually customized for our clients. Of course, 100% made to order sites are also available. Depending on your needs these may take longer to implement and cost a bit more to develop.
Why are your prices not listed on your website?
If you are merely shopping price we might not be the company for you. If you are shopping value, service and solutions then we probably are.
Prices are based entirely on your needs and your desired outcome. We would rather take the time in the beginning to really get to know what it is that you want your website to do for you, rather than restrict our clients by forcing you into a "box" or "plan" that does not provide you with the results you desire.
How long do you guarantee your prices?
Current price quotes are guaranteed for 30 days. Monthly fees based on services provided are guaranteed to stay the same for 12 months (from contract date).
Do we have to meet in person?
Actually we do not. The majority of our communication is completed through email, fax and over the phone. The beauty of the Internet or the World Wide Web is that it offers maximum flexibility in terms of the location of the clients we work with. (In case you are wondering we are located within the Greater Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD Metropolitan Areas.)
How do I pay you?
You can mail us a check or pay us through PayPal. For all projects priced over $1,000 we require a 50% deposit before we begin and the balance after completion (but prior to turning over source code). Monthly service charges will begin 30 days later and are set up through PayPal. Projects less than $1,000 require 75% to get started.
How do I get started?
Call us 1.877.677.5525 or send us an email. The following outline shows (the basic elements of) our website development process.
- Gather information about your vision, your goals, and your needs.
- Development (purpose & content combined with platform, features & functionality)
- Design (layout, colors, logos, photos, graphics)
- Set-Up Domain & Hosting
- Build Website
For businesses who do not have a website or who want a total overhaul, we start with a simple Development and Design document in order to identify your business' website goals and needs. Understandably many businesses that do not yet have a website are not entirely sure what they want or need at this point. And that's okay.
The first step is defining the purpose of your website and many things will fall into place once this crucial question is answered. Again, we will work together on most of this. We need to completely understand your vision so we can provide you with exactly what it is that you are looking for.
Send us an email with questions