Fusion Forward - Accelerate your Business.

Questions & Answers

 

Who owns our website once completed and how will we receive our finished project?

Property of the finished project belongs to the client upon receipt of final payment. Electronic files of the completed project can be delivered via email, CD or loaded to a client’s flash drive.

 

What is Fusion Forward’s design process and how long will it take to complete my project?

The design process begins once the client has signed a Fusion Forward Service Contract and returned it with the project deposit. An initial design is typically delivered electronically within 14 days of receiving the Service Contract and deposit. Once the design is approved, Fusion Forward can begin constructing additional pages for the website or other areas of a print project. This part of the design process tends to be most efficient when we have access to all required content from the client i.e. text, images, and current logo/graphics the client would like to use. If Fusion Forward has access to all necessary content, you may receive your finished project in 3-4 weeks (often sooner if the project is smaller scale). Of course the size and scope of the project are the primary determinants of the amount of time required to produce a quality project.

 

Why do I need a website?

There are several benefits of having a website, but the following are our top 4:
Improve Customer Service – You can provide answers to questions on your website. Online forms can be used to allow customers the ability to request information 24/7 and allow you to collect important customer feedback after office hours.

Present a Professional Image – Small businesses have a great opportunity to give a big impression. Instill confidence in your customers with a professional website showing them your success. Your competitors already have a website – make your presence known.

Promote your Services – Millions of users refer to the web and search through websites to make major decisions when a specialized service is needed. They won’t find you in their search if you lack an online presence.

Update Information Quickly – The cost of updating your website with new brochures or photos in a gallery is minimal compared to updating all your printed materials. Plus, the information is available to your customers right away.


What is included in the cost of website design and development?

The following items are included in the design cost of your website project:

  • Initial project design consultation and access to an account manager throughout the project
  • Design and layout of all pages of the site
  • One-time search optimization submission to the major Web search engines i.e. Google, Yahoo and MSN
  • E-mail response link on each web page to any e-mail address the client chooses
  • Cross browser compatibility with site viewable by both Firefox and Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • One basic contact form embedded on the web site with data captured in each form delivered to the client at the client’s specified e-mail address
  • Ownership of project relinquished to client upon completion

 

What is the difference between a static website and a dynamic website? How do you update content on a static or dynamic website?

The difference between a static and dynamic website lies in how the site is constructed.  Static sites are constructed using HTML code only. This means each page is considered a separate document and no database is used to retrieve the information and display it on the page. The only way to update content on this type of site is to edit each individual page’s HTML. This can be done using a webpage editor like FrontPage or by contacting Fusion Forward to make the updates for you.

Dynamic sites are constructed using code that is more complex than HTML. Content and page layout are created separately. Content is retrieved from a database and placed on a webpage only when accessed by the visitor. This allows for quicker page loading and also makes updating content very easy for just about anyone with basic computer skills. Dynamic sites allow the client to change the content only and maintain the design integrity of the site. This is an important feature for client’s who are not used to working with HTML code and may inadvertently break a line of code affecting their site’s design. Content can be updated using an administrative login provided by Fusion Forward and no specific software programs are required.

 

Should I invest in a static or dynamic website design and is there a cost difference?

There are several things to consider when deciding on what type of website will best fit your needs. Will you be updating content frequently? Do you require the use of forms to collect visitor information? Will your overall site be very large with multiple pages?

If you answered yes to the questions above, you may consider having Fusion Forward develop a dynamic website for you. The cost associated with a dynamic website is higher than that for a static site because the code used in development is much more advanced and has a longer set up time. But, the capabilities of a dynamic site are much greater than those of a static site.

Static websites are ideal for clients establishing a very basic online presence (i.e. landing page/homepage only) with few content updates throughout the year. You may also decide to try a combination of both static and dynamic pages. Common applications of this method are found on sites where a catalog of products, photo gallery or other content need to be updated often, but other website pages will remain the same (static).

 

Are there any hidden fees associated with a website project?

No, Fusion Forward discloses all costs to be billed to the client before work begins. Should the client want additional services during the project’s creation, Fusion Forward will supply an outline of the additional cost for review before any work begins.

 

What are the costs associated with maintaining a website?

Other than design and any requested maintenance costs through Fusion Forward, clients will have the annual cost of hosting the site as well as registering and maintaining their URL domain name.

For domain registration we recommend using GoDaddy www.godaddy.com ($9.99/yr average cost) or NameCheap www.namecheap.com ($9.96/yr average cost).

For web hosting we recommend using JustHost www.justhost.com ($107.40/yr average cost) or HostMonster www.hostmonster.com ($107.40/yr average cost).

 

Can Fusion Forward set up my domain and hosting information?

Yes, we are happy to assist in the registration of your domain name and setting up your site’s hosting. There is a one-time fee of $25 for this service plus the actual cost of the domain and hosting registration. Domain and hosting information is registered directly to the client.

You may also choose to set up your own domain and hosting information. Please keep in mind when registering for a web host that Fusion Forward can set up your website with pretty much any hosting company as long as the following requirements are met:

Linux hosting, Apache web server, 5GB+ storage space, 20GB+ monthly bandwidth, cPanel, automatic backups, email forwarding, PHP 5.x support, MySQL 5.x support, custom .htaccess, and custom error pages.

 

Why should I choose Fusion Forward to design my website?

We work very hard to provide an enjoyable design experience and deliver a product our clients love. Our staff is knowledgeable, accommodating and always willing to answer any questions. Our rates are competitive and we work closely with the client throughout the design process to ensure the project fulfills their goals.

 

What items does the client need to provide to complete a website project?

In order to expedite the design process, Fusion Forward requests that the following items be delivered electronically via email or sent/brought to us on a disk or flash drive:

  • Company Logo (Fusion Forward can design a new logo or redesign a current one so we have an electronic copy, but this is an additional service outside of your website project).
  • Content/Text for all website pages in .doc format or via email
  • Photographic Images or Graphic Images (i.e. product photos)
  • Domain Registration Information (If you have already registered your domain)
  • Hosting Account Information (If you have already registered your web host account)
  • Specific Color Code information for color scheme if available
  • Key words/descriptions you would like used for web pages (please indicate which description goes with each page)
    • Each page of your website will have a description that helps search engines index your site and display your web pages in search results. Descriptions for each page can be 25 to 30 words in length and must be submitted electronically. If no description is submitted, Fusion Forward will automatically use the first sentence of the page’s content as the page description

 

Can I just visit with Fusion Forward about a project I have in mind?

Yes, we encourage you to set up a time to visit with us about your project goals and any other design or marketing ideas you may have in mind. We offer a free 15 minute consultation for this very purpose. There are no obligations, just contact us via email or phone at 319.334.9300.