FAQ

The following are questions that I get asked frequently:

• How much does a website cost?
Many factors influence the final cost of a website: how many pages you will have, whether you will be selling products on your site, how many graphics you will need designed and how complex they will be, and how interactive you want your site to be. My standard "package deal" is a site with six pages and a certain amount of custom graphics. For more information, or to have a copy of my standard contract faxed to you, please .
• Do I need to hire a local website designer?
No. Today's technology allows people to complete a wide scope of projects without ever meeting face to face. Through the use of telephone calls, e-mails, and the internet, I can design a site for you or your company no matter how far away you are.
• How long does it take to have a website designed?
The time it takes to design a website depends on the same factors that the final cost does. Once again, these include factors like how many pages you will have, whether you will be selling products on your site, how many graphics you will need designed and how complex they will be, and how interactive you want your site to be. In general, the more pages and the more complex the site, the longer it takes to complete. After discussing your website needs in depth, I can give you an estimate of how long your site will take to complete.
• What is a URL?
URL stands for "universal resource locator." A URL is the address you type into the address bar of your browser so that the browser knows where on the internet a site should be found. For example, to access the MK Designs and Hosting homepage, you would enter "http://www.mkdh.com" in your browser's address bar.
• What is a domain name?
A domain name is part of a website's URL. It is the part following the "www" and ending with .com, .net, .org, etc. For example, the domain name for MK Designs and Hosting is "mkdh.com".
• What is web hosting?
Web hosting is a fee paid periodically (monthly or yearly in most cases) so that your website has a place to "live" on the internet and people can view it. For my clients, I provide hosting that is incredibly reasonable in price and provide 24/7 customer service.
• Can I choose you to design my site but choose a web host other than the one with whom you normally work?
Yes. However, if you choose a host other than MKDH, I charge an hourly fee of $40 for the time spent to familiarize myself with the policies, procedures, and other aspects associated with using a different host.
• What is site maintenance?
Site maintenance is a fee paid periodically to keep your site updated with fresh new content. How often a site is updated depends on the nature of the site and the material that is being changed. Some sites, such as automobile dealerships with online inventory listings, have content that is updated weekly, while other sites are only changed once or twice a year.
• Why can't I find my website on any of the search engines?
Once your site has been submitted to the search engines, it can take weeks or even months for the search engines to "spider" your site and list it in their directories. Times vary depending on the search engine. Ask for details about search engine submission when you discuss the creation of your site.
• For what size screen resolution do you design sites?
Most experts agree that the minimum screen resolution designers should account for is now 800 by 600 pixels. However, a good designer will design a site that will look appealing on a screen with higher resolutions as well.
• Can you develop my logo?
Yes. MK Designs and Hosting provides a number of other services besides just website design. Please see my services page, web design, desktop services, or office support for more information on the other services I provide. (Logo design falls under the category of "desktop publishing".)
• What if I don't need a whole website?
I realize that my standard six-page package will not fit everyone's needs. Some people need larger sites, and some people need smaller sites. I can design websites as small as one page. For a free estimate, please with details of your project for a free estimate.
• Who do I contact for a price quote? Are price quotes free?
Just , Leslie, with the details of your project to receive a price quote. They are always free.
• How do you accept payment?
Currently, I prefer payment to be made by check. If you would like to pay by credit card, please and we will see what we can work out.
• What if I need to make a change to my website?
I make the decision to allow clients to make changes to sites on an individual basis. Most of the time, it is easier and less time-consuming for me to make any changes that are necessary. It also reduces the probability that something will go wrong. If you would like to be able to make changes on your site, we need to talk about it together first.
• What if I need a domain name?
I can register a domain name for you. Since only one person or organization can own a domain name, they are subject to availability. You can use the Network Solutions WhoIs Registry to check the availability of any domain names you would like to register. Then, your domain(s) can be registered with 123eHost's affiliate for $10 per year (per domain name).
• Do I need my own domain name?
Once you have signed up and paid for hosting, the next step is to register your own domain name. It costs only $10 and makes it easy for people to find you online.
• Can I write content for my website?
Yes, I prefer my clients to write their own content. You know far better than anyone else exactly what your business is like and what you would like to say about it.
• What about search engine registration?
Basic search engine registration is included at no extra charge when you have your site designed and hosted with MKDH. We will submit your site to wikidweb and dmoz, two of the largest open-directory web repositories. These repositories are spidered by Netscape Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and hundreds of other search engines. It typically will take two to six weeks for your site to initially appear on one of the search engines depending on when the search engine spiders the repository. If you would like to have a sitemap created and expedite the google spider I can do so for an additional fee of $25. This guarantees that google will spider the site within 48 hours. This does NOT guarantee your placement on the search engine.
How do I know if people are seeing my web page?
Periodic website "traffic" summaries are available for an additional fee. You can choose to receive these reports monthly, quarterly, yearly, or on a by-request basis. These statistics cannot show exact numbers, but they will give you a good idea of the amount of traffic your site is experiencing. Please also read Steven Turner's "How the Web Works" for more information on why it is difficult to tell exactly how many visitors a site has had.
Who owns the information on the websites you design?
Every MK Designs and Hosting client maintains ownership of the content on his or her site. MK Designs and Hosting maintains ownership of the page design and code for the site.
Why does my website look different when viewed on different computers?
Just like the same lipstick will look a little different on each person that wears it, so every website will look slightly different on each computer used to view it. Every monitor will handle colors a little differently, and then different people may use different settings on each monitor. Screen resolution also makes a big difference in how your website appears. But rest assured that the information you make available and the fundamentals of how your website works will be the same on a wide variety of computer systems.
Can I have lots of animation on my site?
Lots of animation is not recommended for any site. Animations have larger file sizes and therefore make any page take longer to load. Also, having lots of movement on a page can be distracting or even nauseating to the viewer. Animations on sites by MK Designs and Hosting are usually kept to one or at the most two image(s) that move at the same speed and are used to draw the viewer's attention to something very important.
What if I need to add things (such as new pages or features) to my website?
If you have a maintenance contract, additions and changes are included in the contract. If you do not have a maintenance contract, just contact me and let me know what you would like to add or change. I will make the additions or changes and send you a bill when I'm finished.
How important do you consider "navigation" to a website?
Navigation is one of the most important items in any website. Without effective navigation, visitors cannot get around on your website and will quickly become frustrated (and will most likely leave).
Who owns the website after it is designed?
The client owns the domain name and the site, but with a contract to MK Designs and Hosting for any work that is done on or in association with the website. For further details on the specifics of the contract, please .
What if I need help or services in the future? Will they be available to me?
I am always available to my clients to answer questions and make additions or changes to websites. Just or use the information on my contact page to contact me.
Why should I sketch my site out?
No matter how hard I've tried, I can't read others' minds. Sketching your site out allows me to get an idea of exactly what you'd like your website to look like. Knowing this minimizes the number of changes I need to make and means that your site will be done in a timely and cost-effective manner.