Web Development Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I expect to pay for a complete custom web site? Everyone gives me different estimates.

A web site's cost is based upon many factors, including timeframe, complexity, and amount of content. If you have a very small site that is mostly non-interactive, the site can be developed in a relatively short time and will be less expensive than a site that requires many hours of complex programming and design.

It's very difficult to give accurate quotes for web site design, but we encourage you to contact us for a free estimate.

Why should I pay for a web site when I can make one with an off-the-shelf product?

Many programs have hit the market that allow users with little computer experience to build very functional web sites. However, when you hire a web designer, you are paying for their experience and their expertise as well as their skills. A designer will know what looks good, what works for users, and will be able to leverage their knowledge to build you a quality site.

Web designers are aware of current and future trends, fads, laws, and accepted practices and therefore are a great resource for your organization.

What kinds of questions should I ask a web contractor?

• You should find out who will be performing the work on your site. Many web contractors will assign a designer to your project. This designer will be your point of contact for all matters.
• You should obtain a list of their policies and ask for a sample contract. Some web designers may retain the copyrights to web sites they have designed for you!
• You should ask about hosting. Web site design contracts and cost estimates do not always include a place for your web site to be stored so it can be viewed by the public.
• You should definitely ask about turnaround time and how you will be able to monitor progress of your project.
• You should find out who owns the copyrights to your web pages! Some contractors hold the copyright to your pages and can charge you repeatedly for licensing fees or updates.

What is a "Web Host"

A web host, or hosting provider, is a business that provides space to store your web site on the Internet, where other people can view your pages. Without a web host, you won't have a usable web site.

Some web hosts offer free services, but often times you are required to place advertisements or popups on your web site in exchnge for the free space.

We partner with Chambergates, a hosting provider located in Dallas, Texas. Chambergates offers affordable, reliable hosting for their customers. If you have your own web host, we will work with that host as well.

Web hosting costs are separate from any contracts we offer, and recurring monthly service fees are your obligation.

What is a "domain name?"

A domain name is the "www" or "dot com" address that will be associated with your web site. You need one of these if you're going to have a web host.

A domain name points to a web host, and that's how users on the web can access your pages.

Domain names can cost anywhere from $5 to $35 a year, and they must be renewed when they expire.

We can assist you with registering your domain name, and Chambergates, our preferred web hosting partner, will provide you a free domain name of your choice when you set up your service with them.

Why don't you offer web hosting and domain registration like other web design companies?

We feel that a domain name and a web host should be your property, not ours. That gives you the freedom to control your domain name and your web host. You're not "locked in" to our services once we've finished designing your web site.

Also, our competitors often charge three times as much for domain registration and monthly service fees for web hosting. By partnering with a large web host, we can pass the savings on to you.

We feel that this gives our customers the most flexibility and the most control.

How does the typical web project go when I work with NAPCS?

Typically, projects are divided into milestones which require you to sign off on a particular piece of the project. These milestones are also invoices, so you are only paying for work that has been done and approved.

Your designer will meet with you in person or over the phone to determine your needs and analyze your business. They will then create several templates for your site that you can choose.

If you are satisfied with the templates and have selected one, the designer will then complete the project by taking your content and creating pages from the templates.

If you are not satisfied, your designer will take your input and create additional templates as needed.

As your web site takes shape, you will be able to see the changes at any time via our private staging server. You'll be given a special login to our servers that allows you to see your web site and keep up to date on the project.

When the project is completed, you will sign off on all remaining milestones and send in your final payment. At this time, we will also collect payment for your web host. When payment is received, we will publish your web site to your host and make sure that everything is working. We will then begin submitting your web site to various search engines.

When my site is completed, who retains the copyrights to the design and content?

New Auburn Personal Computer Services retains the rights to all graphics and designs we create throughout the development process. When your site is completed, we transfer the rights to you. We do ask that you keep our “designed by” wordmark on your site for at least a year as a courtesy, but it is not required.

You always retain the copyright to your content, whether it's text, images, or graphics you provide to us, and we return all hard copies to you at the end of the project.

What is expected of me as a client?

• Please provide electronic copies of text and media. Our developers will not enter data or create content except under extreme circumstances. We need you to provide us with the content for your site, or the pages cannot be created. The number one reason that web sites are delayed is because of a lack of content.
• Please provide as much information about your business to your developer as you can. This will allow your developer to "get to know" your business and create a site that is in tune with your business.
• Please respond promptly to requests by the developer. Our developers are not responsible for missed deadlines due to lack of content or signoff requests.
• Set due dates for your deliverables and make them clear to your developer. Our developers need lead time to complete a task. Developers may be working on several projects at once and may be unable to do 'rush jobs" for your project.

Most of all, we ask that you become as involved as you can in the creation process of your site. Remain in constant contact with your developer.