Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been designing web sites?
I started designing web sites in 1998 or 99 when my brother, an accomplished web developer, introduced me to Adobe’s web development software. I began messing around with our church web site (which my brother had initially designed). In 2005, I started designing and managing a few sites for other churches and agencies. Then in the fall of 2007, I opened up my freelancing to interested businesses.
How much time do you give to web design?
It depends on the week. My priorities begin with God, my family, and my full-time pastoral ministry. Web design, for me, is a very intense hobby and an area of keen research. It’s also a way for me to serve God’s kingdom in a creative way, helping churches (starting with my own) utilize technology to share Jesus. I only take on projects I can feel good about, and which I feel will fit my schedule without requiring any compromise in my higher priorities.
Do you price by the project, or by the hour?
I price mostly by the project. You don’t want to pay me to do something that just anyone can do – you want to pay for expertise, so I charge by the project so that I can gauge the amount of time I will need to truly be creative. I do quote hourly prices for services such as search engine optimization and content-tweaking. Support, however, is always free when I’m fixing something that should have worked correctly in the first place.
Do you offer “mockups?”
Some design agencies offer a certain number of “mockups.” With rare exceptions, I do not. I especially would not offer a mockup before completing a contract. This is known as “spec work” and presumes that my time is limitless and my abilities are in question. I think you can hire me with confidence and we’ll have an ongoing, working “mockup” in the form of a testing site that you and I can view together along the way.
Walk me through the steps you go through in designing a site, start to finish…
- I being with a consultation to discuss your organization’s unique personality. I must understand what you do so that I can represent you well with a design.
- Unlike most designers, I jump into code almost immediately and do graphic design as I go, rather than starting with a mockup. It saves time and prevents misunderstandings. A graphic mockup is never identical to a finished coded site, so I work on them simultaneously.
- After I have a good base of code and graphics, I create a single page for previewing and we talk to see what you feel needs to be worked on.
- If the site is integrated with a content management system or shopping cart, I add in all necessary code for those considerations.
- I add sample content or content you’ve provided, but my larger goal is to allow you to add content over time without paying me for updates, so I’m adding only enough content so that you can see the design in action.
- If it’s a new site, I set up your permanent web space, point your domain, install necessary backend code, and launch the design, sometimes moving a database of information over in the process.
- I fix any bugs, offer tutorials on using the site, and double-check for any search engine optimization errors.
- Optionally, I perform extensive search engine optimization or initial content-writing.
What are your payment terms?
All contracts are created when you officially accept my estimate and pay 50% of the initial estimated project cost. This insures me that you’ll follow the project through to completion. The remaining 50% is due when you are satisfied with the completed site. This insures you that I’ll follow through as well. I don’t offer any monthly billing options for custom design, though I do offer this for various ongoing services such as content management and hosting.
Do you outsource your work?
On rare occassions, I will outsource particular tasks that involve a tedious attention to a particular detail, but I do not outsource my design work. I will, on large projects, collaborate with a programmer, but will be open about such arrangements before they are made.
I have another question…
Contact me, I’d be happy to answer any question you might have.
