Frequently Asked Questions 1. Do we need a Web site? 2. Can you provide some guidance and insight to the few ideas I have about my Web site? 3. I like sites with lots of bells and whistles, can you create a site like that for me? 4. Do you offer additional services to Web site design? 5. Can you redesign my existing site? 6. Can you build me a site from scratch? 7. What kind of turnaround can I expect? 8. Will I be able to see my Web site as it is being built? 9. Can you enlighten me about ISP's, Hosting, Domain Names, and e-mail forwarding? 10. I already have an Internet Service Provider, what can they do for me? 11. Does ECS|DC provide hosting, forwarding or dial up packages? 12. Once completed, how do I upload the Web site to my FTP server? 13. Will I be able to edit the site myself? 14. What kind of support do you provide? 15. Do you provide site promotion? 16. How can I be guaranteed a live connection while making sales presentation off-site? 17. How much will my project cost? 18. Are there any hidden price extras? 19. How do I pay? 20. When do I pay? Do we need a Web site? With the explosion of the Internet over the past half-decade it is becoming one of the most important marketing tools that a company, whether large or small, has at its disposal. The question for many small companies today is how badly do they need a Web site? Either your company has survived for years without one or you're a new business ambivalent about the necessary cost of this new marketing tool. The most prominent reason you need Web presence is that your market place is becoming more competitive and your competitors are using the Internet to promote themselves. Even if you have no plans to create an on-line empire, you cannot afford to put yourselves at a competitive disadvantage. A Web site allows you to promote yourself to a larger audience than ever before and can help you to display more of your products and services, to both current and potential clients. The ability to trade online gives you a potential shop in every home. As with all our services, we won't try and sell you more than you need. We build our reputation upon offering the best possible advice and services to our clients. Can you provide some guidance and insight to the few ideas I have about my Web site? Most of our clients are in the same boat and only have a vague idea of what they want. We act as consultants as well as designers and will listen to your brief, however sketchy, and employ our skills and experience to come up with the right solution. With our years of experience in Design, Marketing, Communications, and Business, we can visualize how any project you may want will fit in and be part of your overall identity and marketing package. The more info you can give us, the more help we can be. I like sites with lots of bells and whistles, can you create a site like that for me? We can, but we do not feel that bells and whistles are always something that add to the functionality of a site. It is very important for us to understand what tools are available but recommend only what is needed to create the most effective site for the customer. We believe in being thoughtful and providing the simplest, best possible solution for our clients. The fundamental principles for creating an effective Web site are:  Clean, elegant design  Fast-loading pages  Clear, intuitive navigation  User-centered interface (accomodating both experienced and novice users) The more technology used on your site, the more complicated supporting your site becomes. We strive to create distinctive Web sites that are aesthetically pleasing, coherent, and tailored to meet your specific requirements. We offer high quality personal assistance and services from the concept stage of your project right through to developing a plan to market it. Do you offer additional services to Web site design? In addition to our Web design and development services, we also offer a variety of review and audit services on existing sites as well as comprehensive marketing and communications consulting services (please see our "Consulting Services FAQ" for more information). Can you redesign my existing site? Yes, we have had a number of clients come to us asking for help updating an older site or, in some cases completely redesigning a site that has proven ineffective for their customers. When considering a redesign, you should ask yourself a few key questions:  What services do you promote?  Are you broadening your product line?  Can one navigate freely through the site?  Did your designer/developer create your site with lots of heavy flashy images?  Do you have contingency design parameters in place? Remember, a well-designed site with clear usability will raise your profit line. Can you build me a site from scratch? Yes, the core of our design business is developing new Web sites for clients from the ground up. Our combination of design excellence, marketing and communications experience and understanding of business needs and processes puts us in a unique position to build outstanding sites that are tailored specifically to meet our clients needs. What kind of turnaround can I expect? This really depends on the scope of the project and the review and approval process you require within your organization. We will commence work as soon as we get your approval and a returned signed contract. Your part is to supply us with any needed copy, images, approvals, and other information as needed, and as discussed to insure we meet our mutually agreed upon deadlines. Will I be able to see my Web site as it is being built? Yes, we have a "Client Login" capability through ECStewart.com that allows us to periodically upload your site to our extranet so that you can view it from anywhere, anytime (on vacation or in dull meetings) and provide feedback. Can you enlighten me about ISP's, Hosting, Domain Names, and e-mail forwarding?   An ISP is an acronym for Internet Service Provider. Agencies such as Earthlink, MSN, AOL, TWC all provide internet connection (some of the same companies provide additional lifestyle benefits like cable TV).   Some of those said agencies may provide hosting services for your Web site space (i.e. TWC does not) which resides on on a Web server, this is basically another computer with a permanent access to the net.  The domain name or URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is your Web address that people will type in to find your site. Your domain name is the core of your Internet identity, your online brand. Your customers will remember this name and use it to find your Web site, your products or your services. Your Internet identity is totally unique because no two parties can ever concurrently hold the same domain name (URL). For example, the domain name (URL) ecstewart.com represents EC Stewart Design and Communications Web site. When you type ecstewart.com into a Web browser or send e-mail to someone at ecstewart.com, the Domain Name System (DNS) translates ecstewart.com into the IP numbers used by the Internet and connects you to EC Stewart Design and Communications.  E-mail forwarding allows any e-mail sent to your new name to be directed to the appropriate e-mail address at your office. For instance, if you are a TW Roadrunner internet subscriber, you will need to locate a Web host provider to secure hosting space for your Web site and URL. You can keep your Roadrunner account but will need to forward your new domain mailboxes (ie. jane@janesdomain.com -> jane@nc.rr.com). ECS|DC can provide assistance here, too, should you need it. I already have an Internet Service Provider, what can they do for me? The majority of companies all have some form of internet and e-mail access through a service provider such as Earthlink, AOL, MSN, TW RoadRunner or similar. Most (but not all) of these provide basic hosting and e-mail so the chances are you will already have 50% of what you need to get up and running. We can advise you on further requirements. Does ECS|DC provide hosting, forwarding or dial up packages? No, we do not offer Web hosting at this time and probably won't in the future, we can however give you expert guidance on choosing the right service provider and package in terms of reliability and price. We have a short list of reliable suppliers and we will be happy to help you through the entire process. Once completed, how do I upload the Web site to my FTP server? All sites are uploaded by us on the client's behalf whenever possible. If you are using Web space allocated by your ISP, access is usually only granted when the connection to the Internet is made using that ISP account. We can work around this issue by either granting ECS|DC permission to upload the files to your site, or we will supply files on a CD-Rom to you for self-publishing. Most of our clients have entrusted ECS|DC to upload files to their FTP servers. Will I be able to edit the site myself? Yes, of course you can, but please let us know this before we start the design process so that it can be planned for easy maintenance and scalability. It is also easier at that point to design it with the easiest tools for your staff. We are able to offer our clients maintenance programs, training programs and style guides to assist you in any changes you need to make to the site. We can also provide training on an appropriate software package that will allow you or your staff to update the site in-house. What kind of support do you provide? Support services from ECS|DC include:  Maintenance - updates to your Web site on a custom basis, set-up on a retainer or on an as-needed basis. From weekly to quarterly, ECS|DC can update your site with content you provide.  Training - preparing your company to update and maintain your Web site with HTML, image editing tools, uploading and procedures.  Style Guides - easy to understand, owners manual and instructions for updating your site. Step-by-step procedures for developing and maintaining your site in the style in which it was designed. Do you provide site promotion? In addition to our core services, ECS|DC will include submitting your site to search engines, writing effective titles, descriptions, and meta tags for searchability. Beyond this we recommend working with us to develop a marketing plan. This can be for just the site, or encompass your entire company marketing effort. The cost of developing these marketing plans varies from client to client on a customized basis. For more information on our ability to develop comprehensive marketing and communications plans for your company please see our "Consulting Services FAQ". How can I be guaranteed a live connection while making sales presentation off-site? Presentations are a necessary tool in your business and multimedia CD-Roms can help your company present its offerings in their best possible light. In most cases, one should not assume guaranteed connection at the designated presentation site, much less a fast one. However, CD-Roms allows you the portability and guarantee to take your presentation anywhere such as trade shows, sales calls, or directly mailed to potential customers. CD-Roms include rich media such as video, audio and Flash animations integrated with your Web site or PowerPoint presentation for the ultimate flexibility. ECS|DC can help you develop a mix of Internet and multimedia to present your company in the best light at all times. How much will my project cost? Every project we work on is different and requires different services. Until we meet you and ascertain your exact requirements it is impossible to give an estimate with any accuracy. It's very much like buying a car; on certain models, wheels and the steering column are standard, but the rest are options. Once we have discussed your plans we provide you with a comprehensive proposal for your project including design and recommended consulting services. From that starting point, we can develop a scope of work and budget. We are also willing to work to develop a proposal based on a budget which you may already have allocated for the project. We'll be happy to show you our portfolio of the various work we've done for our clients to give you a better understanding of the capabilities we have and the services we have offered to other clients. Are there any hidden price extras? We do our best to remain within the quote, however, from time to time some projects may run-over. We do our best to anticipate anything above the quoted price and advise you before we carry out any activities outside of the proposal. There are many reasons why projects can run-over. For instance: If we are supplied with low-resolution images that are unsuitable for a brochure we may need to have high-resolution scans done, or, we may quote on text supplied on CD and end up having to type in 30 pages - don't worry, we will let you know well in advance of incurring any extra charge. Nine times out of ten there are alternative solutions and work-arounds. How do I pay? We can accept checks; credit cards and payments through Paypal. When do I pay? We usually request 30% deposit on your project and full payment when the project is complete. We also have installment plans available for our small business clients. If you would like to meet with us, please fill out and submit the Request for Proposal (RFP) so that we may begin working together.

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