Here are some frequently asked questions (and answers) about what
we do and how we do it.
1. What
services does Tom Shelley & Company provide?
2. What
kinds of websites do you design?
3.
How long does it take to get my web site up and running
online?
4. How
do you charge for your services?
5. How
do I pay for your services?
6. Do
you provide hosting, I mean the service that actually has my website
on a server?
7. Why
do you ask for my content to be in digital form.
8. What
do you mean by standard themes?
9. What
is custom design?
10. Doesn’t
my website have to be glitzy and flashy to attract people?
Q:
What services does Tom Shelley & Company provide?
A:
We provide basic and advanced web design, hosting, and maintenance.
Additionally, we provide a long list of services. (back
to questions)
Q:
What kinds of websites do you design?
A:
We design websites for all sorts of purposes, for example:
Business
Commercial - manufacturers, hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts,
inns, restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges
Retail
- department stores, clothing stores, shoes stores, Beauty Salons
Professional
- Doctors, Attorneys, Accountants, Chiropractors
Service
- electricians, plumbers, air conditioning repair, auto repair,
Public
service / Non-profit - Charities, Fund raisers, Churches, Schools,
Civic Organizations
Family
- General Interest, Genealogy, Reunions
Event
- Golf Tournaments, Sporting Events, Auto Races, Sailing Events, Bowling
Tournaments.
Fun
- Special Interest, Clubs, Nostalgia, Comedy, Just always wanted your
own web page? (back
to questions)
Q: How long does it
take to get my web site up and running online?
A:
Lead times vary depending on a number of factors. The size and complexity
of the site, special features (animation, sound, special graphics, etc.),
reworking content, and the use of E-commerce features all require additional
time. Also, we must depend on you to provide the necessary content for
the site before we proceed. Estimated times, considering these factors,
range from two to eight weeks. Once you decide that you want to proceed
with your project, we will endeavor to work in as timely a fashion as
possible to get your site online. (back
to questions)
Q:
How do you charge for your services?
A:
As you have noticed, we offer several “packages” which are
intended to serve the needs of most of our clients. The pricing for
these packages is determined by factoring known work times and processes
to arrive at price that is fair to you and us.
For custom
work or larger jobs, we provide our own services starting at $65.00
per hour and charge accordingly for additional contract and/or specialized
technical labor. We will, of course, provide an estimate for all custom
labor charges.
All of
our packages, except the custom, require that you, the client, provide
us with the necessary content (text and graphics) for your site. If
you are unable to provide this information to us in digital form, we
will do the work for you at our regular hourly price.
We also
provide these services independently as part of our Digital Workshop.
(back to questions)
Q: How do I pay for
your services?
A:
In order to keep our costs to you as low as possible we accept checks,
cashier's checks, money orders, or bank drafts. We do not accept credit
cards or PayPal at this time. (back
to questions)
Q:
Do you provide hosting, I mean the service that actually has my website
on a server?
A:
Yes we do. Costs for hosting vary depending on the type you require.
We can also provide you with information and recommendations if you
would like to retain your current hosting or handle hosting arrangements
yourself. (back to questions)
Q:
Why do you ask for my content to be in digital form.
A:
The answer is: Speed. With your content in digital form, we can get
to work as quickly as possible to get your site up and running. If we
must count on receiving documents by mail or courier and then process
them, you will incur an increased lead time, not to mention additional
costs for scanning, digitizing, editing, etc.
If you
do not have the means or facilities to provide us with digital content,
or have questions in this area, please let us know. We will be happy
to work with you and find alternatives that will meet your needs. (back
to questions)
Q:
What do you mean by standard themes?
A:
The work we do can be both technically and artistically complex. The
time we spend working on a project is absorbed by our clients. In an
effort to provide cost effective web sites, we utilize hundreds of existing
or standard “themes” or ready made webpage formats.
The use
of these themes allows us to input your content and graphics into an
existing digital “structure”. You save time and money by working
this way. And, there are hundreds of standard themes to choose from.
After talking with you and determining your needs and wishes, we will
recommend one that best suits your web site. (back
to questions)
Q:
What is custom design?
A:
As the title suggests, custom design is art, navigation schemes, graphics,
photography, etc. that is produced especially by us for your website.
We can incorporate existing collateral advertising copy, logos, color
themes, links, and other web components to craft a site that is unique
for you.
This, of
course, can be, and often is, a somewhat time consuming and costly route
to go. After our initial contacts, we should be able to recommend whether
this is an appropriate direction to go to meet your online needs. We
will strive to provide you with the best information possible to aid
you in making the appropriate decisions for creating your online presence.
(back to questions)
Q:
Doesn’t my website have to be glitzy and flashy to attract people?
A:
Not at all. Not unless you have an unlimited budget and a multi-million
dollar movie to promote.
The Internet,
and the technologies that support it, allow for some really fascinating
visual and aural effects. In most instances, the expense for adding
these features to a web site can increase the cost of the site by several
hundred percent.
The most
important choices you can make for your web site to be successful will
not depend on these features, but on providing significant, usable content
to your site’s visitors. We will fashion an attractive setting
for your content and present it in a manner that will satisfy you and
your audience.
Should
you decide that you would like to add features like animation, sound,
video, or advanced digital graphics (virtual tours, still-motion photos,
etc.) we are ready to do that for you as well. (back
to questions)
