Frequently Asked Questions
Domain Registration
What is Domain Registration?
Before building a website you will need to purchase a domain name. This could be a domain name that has a .com, .net, .org or most any other extension. You will want to purchase a domain name that reflects your business or project and is easy to recognize and spell.
Can I get a Domain Name Someone Else has already Purchased?
There can be only one owner of a domain name at a time. If the domain name you want has already been purchased by someone else your options are to either purchase the domain name from that person, or find a different domain name that hasn’t been purchased yet. PLEASE NOTE: There are many individuals that build their business by purchasing domain names hoping to re-sell them for higher amounts later. If you aren’t needing a specific domain name it can often be much cheaper to order a domain name that hasn’t been registered yet.
Once I Own a Domain Name will I own it Forever?
Each year you will have to re-register your domain name to retain ownership of it. You can register a domain name for up to 10 years at a time but if you lapse in your registration you will risk losing the domain name once it is released back onto the market.
What is the Cost for Domain Names?
We are partnered with Godaddy for our domain name registration which costs about $15. There are many other registrars online that charge more and some that charge less. Most that charge less have an introductory offer for the first year and then go up to the $15 range after that.
We have chosen to partner with Godaddy because their quick propagation and great support. You are welcome however to purchase your domain anywhere you please.
Hosting
What is Hosting?
Once you have a domain name and a website built you will need to purchase hosting. Hosting is where you place your website so visitors can see it. All websites that are online have a host. The easiest way to understand it is to imagine your website as a file like a Word Document that you want to look at. This word document you could also want to share it with friends to see as well. You would normally have them come look at your computer and see the word document. If you wanted them to see it from their computer you could give them the IP address of your computer so they could type that into a browser window and see what files you have on your computer.
Website hosting is the exact same thing except people are seeing website files instead of documents. Additionally these computers have to be very powerful to allow multiple people on your host at a time looking at your website files. Large sites like Facebook and Google have to have warehouses full of servers to handle the millions of users that visit their website at any given moment.
Is Hosting Unlimited?
Much like any storage service we have limits to the amount of files and space that can be used for hosting. Most websites can be run without issue on our basic hosting plan but please contact us if you have storage needs beyond the normal 10 Gigs.
Can I Cancel Hosting?
Hosting can be canceled at any time and in many instances we can help you migrate your site to your new host if desired. We do not need advanced notice on hosting changes but we do appreciate them to we can plan accordingly.
Can I get a Refund on Hosting not Used?
We pre-purchase hosting for either the month or year based on what plan you choose so we are not able to offer refunds. At the same time if you have pre-purchased hosting there is no need to switch hosting until the time-frame is up since it is all paid for and will be up whether you use it or not.
What is the Cost for Hosting?
Hosting costs vary depending on how nice the server is you want to rent. If you want to have your website on a server that is shared with thousands of other sites it is usually around $5 or more a month. The issue with these servers is that you can end up getting hacked very easily because if one site you share the server with has a security problem it can infect your site too.
We use dedicated servers from Amazon here so the cost is a little more at $30 per month but since it is dedicated you shouldn’t have security or speed issues. If you do we fix them for free.
Website Development
What is the Web Development Process?
One of our most asked questions is how the web development process works. First off we interview each client to find out what their design preferences are. This will help us create a site that is in-line with our client’s tastes but also professional.
Once we have our client’s preferences we create a mock-up of your site to review before we start coding it. If you have any adjustments we will make those changes to the mock-up and then review again with you before beginning the coding portion.
After the mock-up has been approved we will start on coding. Depending on the size of the site it could take 2 weeks to a couple of months to build your site. Once the site has been developed we will review with you again the functionality, design, content and versions of the site. Based on your feedback we will either launch the site live or make final changes before the launch.
Is your code Proprietary?
All of our websites are usually built in WordPress. WordPress is open source and easy to transfer, edit and adjust. None of our code is proprietary and if you purchase a website you get full license to do with it as you please. Our thought is that if you pay for a website, you should own the website.
How Long Does Web Development Take?
Based on the size of your website it can usually take between 2 weeks and 2 months from start to finish.
If I don’t like my Website can I get a Refund?
Absolutely! We only offer refunds through the mock-up process so if we aren’t able to produce a design you are happy with, we will happily give you a refund. After the mockup is approved and we start coding we unfortunately can’t give refunds due to the large costs involved with the design and development of websites.
Will I Immediately Get Sales When my Site is Up?
Websites do not immediately get sales without traffic going to them. If it is a brand new site you can usually not expect immediate sales from it. Once your site is live the best thing you can do is start a PPC or SEO campaign to send targeted traffic to your new website that will convert into sales.
How Much Does Web Design Cost?
Our websites start at $990 and go up based on additions you would like to your site. Please see our web design page for total costs on websites.
Organic SEO
What does SEO stand for?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
Which is better, SEO or PPC?
Neither. They actually serve different purposes. SEO is longer term than PPC but the traffic come from the same source.
What is on-page SEO?
On-Page SEO is the process of editing your site code to be easily indexable by search engines.
What is keyword research?
This is the process of researching and picking the best keywords to target for your website.
Will HTTPS affect SEO?
Yes! If you’re not familiar with HTTPS, it is essentially a more secure form of HTTP. Search Engines prefer every site to be secure now days so if you aren’t that could affect you.
Are SEO meta tags important?
Yes! Only some though not all are helpful. Title and Description tags are the best.
Local SEO
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is the process of getting your site ranked or listed in the maps section of search engines. Most local results have a map section showing the top 3 or 4 companies with reviews and contact information. With Local SEO we get your website ranked in the map listing area.
How Much Does Local SEO Cost?
Local SEO cost is based on the package size you order. Pricing starts at $245 per month and like all of our other plans can be cancelled at any time.
On-Page SEO
What is On-Page SEO?
On-Page SEO is the coding that needs to happen on websites in order to best explain to search engines what your site is about. Most websites naturally talk about the brand of the site but not what the brand is selling. Our On-Page SEO ensures that search engines know what to rank your site for.
How Much Does On-Page SEO Cost?
On-Page SEO is $95 per page of your website. You do not have to do on-page seo for all of the web pages on your website, but instead just for the pages you want to show up in search engines for specific keywords.
Backlinks
What are Backlinks?
Backlinks are the links from other websites to your website. Backlinks are one of the main factors search engines use to determine where your website should rank. The more high quality backlinks your website has the better you will rank in search engines.
How Much Do Backlinks Cost?
Backlinks start at $90 and go up from there based on quality and quantity of links. See our backlink packages for pricing.
Ranking Report
What is a Ranking Report?
Our rankings report is a report generated each week that will show you where you rank in search engines for specific keywords you define. These reports are helpful to customers who have not purchased SEO plans which include the report free of charge, but still want to know how they rank.
How Much Do Ranking Reports Cost?
Ranking Reports cost $29 per month.
Website Audit
What is a Website Audit?
Our website audit is a crawl of your site to determine any errors you have in your code and improvements that can be made to help you rank higher. Audits are extremely helpful to check your SEO provider to see the work they are doing and what improvements they are making to your site. It can also be helpful if you have an in-house developer that needs guidance on what to do next in improving your website’s health.
How Much Do Website Audits Cost?
Website Audits cost $29 per month.
Pay Per Click
What is Pay Per Click?
These ads are posted in the search results of Google, Bing and Yahoo. The ads are shown to targeted audiences most likely to purchase from your company. We set the target audience based on feedback from you and industry recommendations. You are charged every time a users clicks on your ad and the cost is based on bidding by you and competitors.
How Much Does Pay Per Click Cost?
Ad management starts at $245 per month and goes up from there based on how many campaigns you want to run. This cost does not include the actual budget required by the platform and can go as high as you prefer.
Display Ads
What are Display Ads?
These ads are posted in the sidebars and banners of major websites usually by Google and Facebook. The ads are shown to targeted audiences most likely to purchase from your company. We set the target audience based on feedback from you and industry recommendations. You pay based on the number of impressions your ad receives and cost is usually charged by how many 1,000 impressions you receive or ECM.
How Much Do Display Ads Cost?
Ad management starts at $245 per month and goes up from there based on how many campaigns you want to run. This cost does not include the actual budget required by the platform and can go as high as you prefer.
Re-Marketing Ads
What are Re-Marketing Ads?
These ads show across platforms like Facebook and Google and are shown primarily to users who have already visited your website. This helps to convert already interested users who may have not decided to purchase yet but may in the future.
How Much Do Re-Marketing Ads Cost?
Ad management starts at $245 per month and goes up from there based on how many campaigns you want to run. This cost does not include the actual budget required by the platform and can go as high as you prefer.
Facebook Ads
What are Facebook Ads?
These ads are posted in the timeline of Facebook’s social media platform. The ads are shown to targeted audiences most likely to purchase from your company. We set the target audience based on feedback from you and industry recommendations.
How Much Do Facebook Ads Cost?
Ad management starts at $245 per month and goes up from there based on how many campaigns you want to run. This cost does not include the actual budget required by the platform and can go as high as you prefer.
Instagram Ads
What are Instagram Ads?
These ads are posted in the timeline of Instagrams’s social media platform. The ads are shown to targeted audiences most likely to purchase from your company. We set the target audience based on feedback from you and industry recommendations.
How Much Do Instagram Ads Cost?
Ad management starts at $245 per month and goes up from there based on how many campaigns you want to run. This cost does not include the actual budget required by the platform and can go as high as you prefer.
Twitter Ads
What are Twitter Ads?
These ads are posted in the timeline of Twitter’s social media platform. The ads are shown to targeted audiences most likely to purchase from your company. We set the target audience based on feedback from you and industry recommendations.
How Much Do Twitter Ads Cost?
Ad management starts at $245 per month and goes up from there based on how many campaigns you want to run. This cost does not include the actual budget required by the platform and can go as high as you prefer.