What About the Hosting?
We use HostGator for hosting the websites we build for clients. HG is very reliable, high speed, and industry standard. When you buy a website from us, you get a full year of hosting after launch as part of your package if you want it. We will put you in a protected “good community” on a private IP address we have dedicated just for Web Design Workplace clients. To be part of a “known good community” on the internet is worth thousands of dollars in VALUE ADDED. For each additional year after your first year, we charge $300 because we bundle the hosting with all the WordPress and plugin updates into a “Hosting and Update Service” package. So the hosting value is worth $120 to $200 a year but to be put into a known “good community” IP address on the internet is worth thousands. Bundled with the WordPress and plugin updates that adds another $1,000 in VALUE per year. We have to bundle the hosting with the WordPress and plugin security updates because all the sites we keep in the protected community have to be at the best defensive level we can provide to stop scripted hacking attacks. If we put a website into our protected community that did not have all the latest security updates, it would create a vulnerability that a hacker could exploit.
If a client elects to not purchase a Hosting and Update Service package, we have to shut that site down so it does not become an exploit candidate and make other sites in the area vulnerable to hacking attack. We can zip the entire site for $50 at any time so you can host anywhere you like.
If you exceed 100 MB of bandwidth on any month we will have to charge a small amount more, but that is very unlikely. We only host low to medium bandwidth clients. We build for high bandwidth clients but they always get their own CPANEL control panel and their own dedicated IP address on a separate hosting setup.
Can I Host the Website On My Own Hosting Platform?
Yes. We can build a website and install it on your web hosting platform. If we build a site and you never host it with us we will provide you with a zip file which includes the WordPress and Studio Press Theme files fully configured, the XML data file, and both manual database backups in .gz format made from phpMyAdmin and also and auto generated backup made from a plugin. We will install a site for you onto the hosting platform of your choice for $200. You have to be prepared to give us the account ID and Password, and we have to be able to contact the support staff at your host to get port details for SFTP or Secure FTP. We never do file transfers over the internet without encryption of both the login credentials and the data.
Can I own My Own Domain Name?
Yes – that’s how we prefer it. You purchase a domain name and change the “nameservers” to our address and you never have to worry about what anyone else does to your domain name. We will show you how to change the nameservers when you start the web design process with us.
Can I Get a Zip File and Just Install the Website on a New Host Myself?
Yes. We charge $50 to zip your files and your MySQL database. If you just want us to build you a site and you never host with us we give you the zip for free. At any other time we can give you a set of files in a zip for $50.
Can I get a Fully Custom Site With More Than 10 Pages?
Yes. We build 100+ page sites under our “Unlimited” package. Since each job is very unique we have to carefully consider all the requirements and then we negotiate a custom price. We still sometimes contract a job for a “Flat Fee” with a variable number of pages if we are clear about exactly what has to be done. Naturally with a Flat Fee we try to reduce the number of client challenges to style based design issues. Some jobs we bill out at hourly rates and particularly when the client wants full control to challenge design concepts with great detail. It all depends on the client requirements. All that is worked out following completion of the “Design and Content Worksheet”.
Here’s an example… a homeowner wants a carpenter to build a custom closet in a room and she tells him to build it in the back corner. It takes the carpenter 2 days of labor and then he complets a beautiful closet. The homeowner takes a look and says, “Hmmm I like the craftsmanship but I don’t like the location, so please remove that closet and build it in this front corner instead”. The carpenter needs 3 days to remove the original closet and fix that wall and then build a new closet in the new corner. So after the carpenter completes that work, he is 5 days of labor into the job, and the homeowner comes in and says “Wow this is great in terms of the craftmanship, but I think I want that closet back in the original location”. So the carpenter takes another 3 days of labor to remove the 2nd closet and build a 3rd closet in the back corner where he had originally built the 1st closet. He needed 8 days of labor to complete the job because the owner had lots of challenges to his work and she kept changing her mind. On a job like that we would be happy to do all that labor on a single contract at hourly rates. Or we could setup 3 separate contracts for building closets (or removing old closets and building new ones) at Flat Rate prices based on each individual job. But we would not sell a contract to build a single closet at a Flat Rate price and then land up doing 3 times the labor. Actually we learned this the hard way… a lesson that we learned well.
Can You Make a Custom Logo For Our New Site?
Yes. We have a flat fee of $200 for a logo using our in house artist or you can use your favorite logo company.
Can I add Pages to My Website After It’s Launched?
Absolutely yes. When you add a new page or a new post, you also have to sometimes make a change to the Menu system. Studio Press Themes are state-of-the-art and they have features to dynamically populate menus when a new page or post is added in some cases. We can provide additional training if you want it at $50 to $100 per hour depending on the location and other specifics. We are located in the NYC area. To learn how to add a page or a post and how to update the menu system is about an hour or less training.
Can I Request Changes After the Launch?
Sure. We can do anything for you at standard rates which are $50 to $100 per hour depending on the complexity. Call to discuss.We also give lots of free advice over the phone. Web Design Workplace has lots of customers who add pages and posts frequently and we love to see happy clients using WordPress to the fullest expent. The way we look at it is there is a lot of great educational material available on WordPress and you can take advantage of it if you want. If you ever get in trouble, we are super professionals that can bail you out fast from any possible predicament. Go wild trying new stuff knowing we can fix anything you break.
What About Shopping Carts?
Web Design WorkPlace does not build out using shopping carts. That is a whole different world. We are probably going to get into it later and if you want to be a development partner with us on a project just call and we can discuss. We have several friends in the business who do shopping carts. Be prepared for a $2,000 fee for a shopping cart site with 20 products or less.
I have a Partially Completed WordPress Site, Can You Finish It?
Our short answer: No. We usually build websites using Studio Press Themes and we do it at a price that’s affordable and a great value to our clients. We get at least 1 call a week from someone that has a partially completed WP site where they have broken off with the developer. We don’t work with sites like that. We use things like Developer Licenses and Legal Contracts and we are all professionals here. Many in the Web Design WorkPlace group have 20 years experience in their field, all have at least 10. If you have a “kid developer” that you were getting for $10 an hour you might get someone on Craigslist that is willing to help you for the same price.
I Have An Existing HTML or Flash Website that Just Needs a Few Corrections, Can You Help Me?
Same as above… No. We build complete websites and blogs under legal contracts for government offices, non-government organizations, non-profit organizations, lawyers, doctors, sports professionals, and anyone else that wants a beautifully crafted website that will rank well on Google. If you need small repair work, consult Craigslist first… then you might even call your local high school or community college to pick up some hourly student web designers. Hey we started doing side-jobs from the College Computer Lab and calls just came in from local businesses that needed repair work. Try it if all you need is an hour or two of labor.
Do You Guarantee #1 Google Rankings?
No way. Every time we see a company making a ridiculous offer like guaranteed #1 rankings on Google it makes us cringe. In 2009 Mal Milligan had 250 Google #1 rankings for competitive attorney phrases for his law firm clients. At the same time he had over 1,100 Top 10 Google Rankings for competitive attorney phrases. I don’t know anyone anywhere who ever beat that record including 100 SEO’s I know personally. #1 rankings on Google are possible but they require a lot of work and there are no special tricks to manipulate the ranking that will work long term. Good rankings are earned through following the Google Webmaster Guidelines and playing by the rules. There is no way to cheat or game the system anymore. So good rankings are indeed possible but to guarantee them is inappropriate and misguided.
Can Web Design WorkPlace Sell A WebSite for Less Than $500?
No. We have 4 packages. All of them are for serious professionals and businesses. None are less than 500 dollars. If you need something “cheap” you should not have much difficulty finding a provider with a quality level commensurate with your budgetary requirements. We do wish you good luck.
How Long Will It Take To Get A New Website?
We can have you online in under a week if you know exactly what you want. You have to fill out all the details in our “Design and Content Worksheet” and you have to sign the NOLO Creative Contract and make a payment. We’ve put over 500 websites online and whether your requirements are simple or they’re complicated, we work fast. We work around the clock sometimes including weekends and holidays. And we support our sites 24 x 7 x 365. Some of the “Big Box” Law Firm Website providers need more than 6 months to get a custom website online. On the same job we would need 2 weeks or less. Try them first. When they don’t deliver and you are tired of talking to 10 people and not getting the answer you expected, call 1 person at Web Design Workplace – Mal Milligan, and get your website built fast and to the highest standards in the business.
