Consultation
We meet (either in person or on the phone) and come up with a good game plan based on your specific needs. There are no templates or magic formulas here. We fit the project to you.
It Ain’t Brain Surgery, But…
Having a website built can be confusing, but it’s not brain surgery. Here are some frequently asked questions about websites and how the process works. Also below, we’ve spelled out the steps you can expect when hiring Santa Clarita Website Design for your project. You’ll still have questions, and that’s where a consultation comes in. Reach out to us and we promise to ease your mind. Note that he FAQs can be filtered to meet your needs.
Common Questions
How much does a website cost?
Clearly this is our most common question. We know you just want a dollar amount. But, we need to know several things: How many pages do you need? What is the website going to do (sell products, just inform visitors, showcase your talent, etc)? Do you already have a website? Will you want the ability to update it yourself? These are the kind of things that we need to know in order to give you an accurate estimate.
We promise, we’re not trying to hide anything. Just give us that information and we promise we’ll draw up an estimate for you.
What are the hidden costs?
None. We are not a company that will hound you for money that wasn’t clearly spelled out from the start. There are no hidden costs to websites. You get a product, you pay for it, done. After the site is built you can either maintain it yourself or have us do it for a fee. End of story.
Will my website look good on my iphone?
Yep. Mobile friendly websites are a must nowadays. Our websites are Google compliant for their most stringent mobile rules. Your site will be built to look perfect, no matter what the size or shape of the screen it will be viewed on. For more information, see our Mobile Friendly Website Services Page.
How long does it take to build a website?
This varies a lot, depending on the size of the site you need. A simple one-page information site can be done in a day. A 40-page eCommerce site may take a month or longer. We’ll give you a very detailed estimate of time, however, when we consult with you about your project.
One thing we’ll make clear: As long as you provide us the materials to build, we will not take a long time. We put it in writing!
What is "hosting" and why do I need that?
A website is just an engineered design of something. “Hosting” is how the site will be seen by people. Think of a “hosting service” as a big radio station that basically broadcasts your website to the masses. You need hosting. You can either obtain it on your own or go through us, but you do need it.
Hosting services range from $9 per month to $49 per month, depending on your needs. If you want a “secure server” where you are the only website on a private hosting server all to yourself, that gets expensive. Most times this is never necessary.
I already have hosting. Do I have to move my site if you design it?
Absolutely not. If you’re happy with your hosting service, we’ll build the site on their platform.
Who owns the website design?
You do.
When you hire us, you’re hiring us as a “vendor” or outside “contractor.” We build your site and help maintain it, but the website design, code, structure and content is your property. Make sure you get this in writing from any web designer or programmer you talk to!
What’s the difference between web designers and programmers?
Web “designers” are people who design and build a website. They’re more of the creative brain. A “programmer” is someone who writes code (they love numbers and math). Complicated, more interactive websites need both. Programmers and designers work together very often on projects. Think of the Programmer as the guy who builds the engine of a car, and the Designer as the guy who builds the body and makes it pretty.
After my site is built, how will it be updated or maintained?
It’s your choice: If you would like to update your website yourself, you will want to look into our “Content Management System” Package, which includes a platform for you to update your site.
If you don’t want to bother dealing with the maintenance of your site, we offer two maintenance plans – retainer and a la carte. A “retainer” is a monthly fee for unlimted updates. An “a la carte” plans is like a pay-as-you go thing, where you order an update, we perform it and then bill you quarterly for time served.
I don’t have any pictures. How will you build my site?
If you have images you need/want to use on your site, great. If not, no big deal. We have staff photographers who can take product or content photos for you. Or, we can always use stock photography, if appropriate.
Please be advised, we always adhere to Internet law and protocols when using licensed or copyrighted images.
How can I tell how many people are looking at my site?
We always provide our clients with access to site analytics, meaning you can see everything there is to see about who is visiting your site on a daily, hourly, even minute-by-minute basis.
Will you be building my site, or will someone in India be doing it?
We will be building your website, from our studios in Valencia, CA. We don’t outsource. This has become a popular thing to do, we understand. Many web designers claim to be local, but they only have a sales person in town. Then they farm out the work to the Middle East or Eastern Asia.
We don’t work that way.
How do I get my website to show up on Google?
All our websites are created with search engines in mind and the website design is compliant with search engine guidelines. It is a good idea for your website to be re-evaluated periodically, as over a period of time the search engines do alter their rules and algorithms, and you will want to be certain that your website is kept up to date and complies with those new rules.
It should be noted that there is no “magic bullet” to ensure you rank #1 on Google. We flood your site with Search Engine Optimization, but ultimately, it’s outside marketing, social media, consistency and website strength that drives traffic.