|
Q. |
How many projects does CharlesWorks average in a year? |
|
A. |
CharlesWorks averages several hundred projects a year. There are
more or fewer depending upon the size of the projects. During
heavier workloads, we rely on other local web developers on an as
needed basis. |
|
Q. |
Can you make my website look good on my smart phone? |
|
A. |
We develop mobile web pages (mobile websites) specially suited for
the smaller screens available on smart phones, BlackBerry phones and
the various other mobile devices in use. Most web pages, as we know,
do not render properly on the small screens, so pages need to be
made that work properly on them. We also incorporate one touch or
click telephone links to enable easy calling of your business from
mobile devices with such capability. |
|
Q. |
What services do you provide for your customers
after the work has finished? |
|
A. |
After the website is online, we are available to
make changes you need. Such website modifications are billable by
the minute at our standard hourly rate - meaning that if your site
changes only take us 12 minutes, that is all you are charged. |
|
Q. |
What is your hourly rate? |
|
A. |
Our hourly rate is $85.00 per hour, billable by
the minute. So 12 minutes of web work we perform for you means you're billed for
12 minutes. |
|
Q. |
Are contracts required for web work? |
|
A. |
We do not work up complicated contracts for our
clients. Many of our competitors charge in excess of $2,000 for
websites because they "build in" dealing with changes and
uncertainty on the client's part. We bill by our standard hourly
rate. We expect payment for all web work done within a month by the
last day of the month. That way, we are always caught up with one
another and our clients get to develop an understanding of the
general amount of time it takes to accomplish certain tasks. In this
manner, we believe the most fair circumstance exists, as indecision
on the client's part can become costly. This indecision usually
occurs when our clients seek many outside opinions and simply don't
trust their own instincts about what they want. |
|
Q. |
How much is your web hosting? |
|
A. |
Web hosting can vary based upon the bandwidth a
client requires and the size of the website, but most hosting for
the majority of our small business clients is only about $19.99 per month. |
|
Q. |
How much are domain names? |
|
A. |
Domain names costs are usually annual and can vary
based upon several factors, such as the country they are associated
with. Most common domain names, like .com, .net, .biz, .org, and .us are only
about $15 per year. We also
handle specialty domain names which cost more than the common ones
such as .st (marketed as "Street") and .tk (marketed as "Tool Kit)
and .ws (marketed as "Web Site") to name but a few. |
|
Q. |
What is privacy and do I need it for my domain? |
|
A. |
Privacy is the masking of your personal
information in the domain name's public lookup information. Most
domain registrars and some third party providers sell privacy for up
to nearly the cost of the domain name annually along with domain
name renewal. In a nutshell, privacy helps prevent your contact
information from being available to spammers who update their spam
lists from the public domain name registries. In the case of
personal websites, for example, privacy also can make it more
difficult to track down private information which might help deter
stalking in some cases. We believe you DO need privacy for your
domain. |
|
Q. |
Can you provide privacy for my domain? |
|
A. |
Yes, privacy is standard with domains that we
manage for our clients, and there is no
additional charge assessed for it. If you purchase the domain
through your own account, there may be additional charges for
privacy. |
|
Q. |
How long will it take for you to finish my
website? |
|
A. |
It depends on numerous factors, such as the size,
amount of content, and complexity of the coding involved with the
development of your website. You should plan for 6 to 12 weeks for a
relatively complex website if we have everything necessary to
complete it. |
|
Q. |
What types of websites are the most common? |
|
A. |
The most common websites we are asked to develop
are company websites for small businesses. On occasion we are also
asked to create personal websites as well. |
|
Q. |
What areas of your trade do you specialize in? |
|
A. |
CharlesWorks specializes in web design for both
large and small companies, as well as creation of simple or complex
web endeavors. In short, we specialize in customization and SEO
(Search Engine Optimization). |
|
Q. |
Can you guarantee my website being number 1 in
Google? |
|
A. |
Although we specialize in SEO (Search Engine
Optimization), no one can make good on such a guarantee. From a
practical standpoint, ask yourself whether everyone can be number
one. We get exceptionally good results over time to develop long
lasting high results in searches, and have been doing so for 25
years (since 1998). Please click
HERE where we have more material
about our search engine optimization (SEO) process. |
|
Q. |
What questions should a potential web client
ask before hiring a professional in your trade? |
|
A. |
Before having a web developer create your website,
you would want to know things like:
-
How long has the web developer been in
business? This can be a measure of stability and reliability
in the field. You want to know the web developer will continue to be
available when you need them. CharlesWorks has been around for 25 years (since
1998).
-
How committed is the web developer to the
field of web development? You might want to know that the web
developer is committed to working on web projects full time;
that your web presence isn't a part-time endeavor. At
CharlesWorks, web development is what we are committed to
totally. We operate full time and are not a one man show. Web
development is all we do which is why we do it well.
-
Do you have samples of your work to show?
CharlesWorks has a portfolio of a sample of our work at
http://CharlesWorks.net/portfolio.
-
How much does the web developer typically charge for
labor? Labor should be a fixed hourly rate you can expect to be
billed at as opposed to an astronomical amount dreamt up to
ensure the developer is covered. CharlesWorks charges an hourly
rate billable by the minute. This means if a task for you takes
us 17 minutes to complete you are charged just 17 minutes.
-
How much does the web developer want up front
to start the project? CharlesWorks asks to be paid as we go
along and not up front. Our policy is to bill either immediately
when performing labor or at the end of each calendar month if
that is the clients' desire.
-
Does the web developer charge extra for
changes done for the site? CharlesWorks only charges its hourly
rate by the minute for changes, which keeps the ongoing
maintenance at a minimum. Again, CharlesWorks charges an hourly
rate billable by the minute. This means if a task for you takes
us 17 minutes to complete you are charged just 17 minutes.
-
Can the web developer meet all of my website
needs? CharlesWorks is positioned to put any standard website or
content management system in place that you might need. If
CharlesWorks can't do it, then in all probability you don't
really need it. This includes websites in content management
systems such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, to name but a few
of the hundreds of types of sites out there. However, the
priority at CharlesWorks is to code your website in a manner
that it is not locked to us. Many developers lock you in. When
you discover that ongoing service is poor or nonexistent you
realize you are trapped with that developer. We're glad to
explain your options.
|
|
Q. |
What brands or hosting products do you work
with? |
|
A. |
CharlesWorks is a registered trademark and is our
own brand. We manage our own servers so have unfettered access to
them so we can provide our clients with exceptional service. We also
have backup systems located in geographically different locations. |
|
Q. |
What would you recommend for potential clients
desiring to save money? |
|
A. |
The best way to save money is to start small with
your web presence. A website can be expanded and built upon over
time, much the same as a home can. |
|
Q. |
What information does CharlesWorks recommend to
have readily available before looking for a professional in the web
development field? |
|
A. |
Have your phone and cell numbers, the company name
(if applicable and has been decided), the type of content the site
is expected to contain, domain name ideas, and any other information
you think would be helpful. Be ready to go on automatic billing for
the hosting charges so there is a way for you to immediately view
the ongoing progress of your website. |
|
Q. |
What would CharlesWorks want you to know about
the web development field? |
|
A. |
CharlesWorks strives to provide exceptional
service and help develop websites that produce results. We also want
potential clients to know that our labor prices are very
competitive. |
|
Q. |
Is CharlesWorks able to do automatic billing
and when does that happen? |
|
A. |
Yes, CharlesWorks can do automatic billing via
Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and American Express credit cards.
Automatic billing via credit card happens approximately 2:00 am on
the 15th of each month. If you desire to cancel any automatic
billing, it must be done prior to the 1st day of the month. |
|
Q. |
Should I be concerned that my competitors are
with CharlesWorks? |
|
A. |
No, as we are here to provide a service and do not
engage in politics or favoritism amongst our clients at
CharlesWorks. This applies to our business and organizational
clients. Just click HERE for more information on this topic. |
|
Q. |
How can I obtain a W-9 from CharlesWorks LLC to
use for tax purposes? |
|
A. |
We have a W-9 form online so you can simply view
and print it in PDF format for your records. Note that unlike many other IRS forms, the form containing the information needed (business name and employer identification number) does not expire unless one of them changes. Just click
HERE
to bring it up in your web browser. |
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