Frequently Asked Questions

Answers

Do you work with a certain Web Hosting Service?

No, the choice of Web Host is yours. Different Hosts have different interfaces, processes, technical capabilities and different levels of support. I provide asistance to choose the best Host for your needs, but the final choice is always yours. Examine their offerings. Do they  provide reliable "24x7" Tech Support by phone? Do they support Front Page Server Extensions fully? What OS and WebServers are Hosting your site? Are there hidden charges in their low-price packages? What is their reputation? Pick wisely and consider more than cost. Yahoo, GoDaddy, Infinology and Lunar are just some of the biggest or the best but they all have tradeoffs. Note: If your choice results in technical issues which eat up my time, the responsibility rests not on Fountainhead and may cause surcharges to the development costs.
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What is Web Positioning?

Web Positioning is a technical marketing aspect of web development. Once the website is built we must market the site to draw people to it. I am talking strictly of positioning it in the eyes of Search Engines and Directories. Yahoo, Google, WebCrawler, and other popular search engines rank sites and pages according to their own unique criteria. You can optimize a page to appeal to Search Engines (and note that that these criteria may not appeal to web surfers) and submit one or more pages to them. Or you can wait for the engine's Spiders to find your site and rank it. The biggest optimization technique is keyword optimization. This means picking the right keywords to define your site, writing keyword content (hence my offer to help with content writing), proper placement of these keywords on the pages and so on. However, the positioning task is much more complex than just working with keywords, but this alone will go a long way to getting identified in a Google search. Keep in mind that most sites have no need for such visibility.
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Do you optimize for Search Eengines?

No, not completely. Included with each site are some optimization techniques, but I never give guarantees due to the nature of site optimization. (Read the next question). What I do is provide good keyword sets, place headings, keyword rich content and graphics how engines generally like to see them. I avoid pitfalls like keyword stuffing or any engine spamming technique which might get your site banned. There are many guidelines -- do's and don'ts -- set by each engine, but I would not adhere to the guidelines of any in particular, unless you specify who you would like to appeal to. I could gear the site toward one engine. In summary, you get some basic optimization techniques.
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How do I get a high ranking with Google or Yahoo?

Beyond what I specified in the previous question. You may choose to subscribe to a service which promises to do that for you if it is imperative that you maintain a high ranking -- say Top 10 to Top 30 given a certain search phrase or keyword set. Google and Yahoo are two of the more popular engines. If you wanted to get high rankings with these two and all of the other popular engines, one would need to tailor major pages to the likes and dislikes of each search engine. It is an inexact science. Much of it is art. You could work very hard at targeting just one popular site and get a Top 5 ranking only to find you dropped to number 30 in two weeks or even two days. It is frustrating too when some higher ranked site seems to break the criteria set by Google, for instance, but ranks higher than you. Whether dumb luck or deception on the part of the web developer, it is still frustrating to you. I'll leave this ranking headache to someone else. www.searchenginewatch.com is a good source for the latest on search engines.
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Do you use Flash? What sort of fancy stuff could I get on my site?

I can add Flash-based content if you choose. I will develop some content but you may also provide the swf files. I do some "fancy stuff", but don't get hooked on it. Why?

1 - Maintenance. Higher End sites can be more difficult to maintain.
2- Comfort. Viewers do not want to wait while the server checks for a plug-in or prompts them to install it, or diverts their attention from the content they seek. You will only wow the viewer once with bells and whistles. You want them to come back.
3- Compatibility. Major browsers do not follow the same standards (or even standards at all) and do not display the content the same. Web Hosts may not ensure optimal end-to-end compatibility for your site.
4- Need. I target small business, startups, and personal sites so there isn't much of a call for Java (or when there is I leave it to others).

Flash is pretty much universally supported. Custom logos might be a nice touch, as are Photo Galleries, and Movie options. I can do some JavaScript and Visual Basic, as well as XML, and ASP.NET2.0. Customized themes are standard; your site will not be cookie-cutter. But I take care overall not to make things too ostentatious or complex. I do not use Java, CGI scripts or databases at this point. If you have a question about special effects or technologies offered, let me know. If you require E-Commerce, there are packages we can integrate into your existing site or build into the new site. NOTE: With E-Commerce make certain you select your "Shopping Cart" and "Merchant Account" carefully. I am not responsible for incompatibilities.
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Do you provide maintenance for the sites you build? How much does it cost?

I offer 3 types of maintenance.

First, Free Bug Fixing for 90 days after publishing. I owe you the courtesy of repairing any bugs which may be detected within the first three months. I do test diligently, but you and I both may miss something or the Web Host could introduce a bug by altering support, upgrading software or interrupting service. So, I'll work to resolve these issues within that 90 day period. Problems are not expected from the Web Host, but since neither of us have control over what they do after 90 days I cannot take responsibility for their lapses. Also, if you had a Links page built, I will add any cross-links you wish at the 90 day mark FREE.

Second, One Time Updates -- small or large -- may be added for a fee negotiated based on the size and scope of the job. Could be a simple addition for an hourly rate or added functionality for a set price.

Third, Continued Maintenance. If you have frequent monthly updates to your site, say, for instance, posting schedules or newsletters or any regular and predictable content change, I could perform such updates -- for a set fee each month covering a "reasonable and customary" volume of content.
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How can you do this work for less?

Simple, I do smaller, less complex jobs that allow me to assemble a website quickly without sacrificing quality. I have no overhead. No storefront, no staff, no payroll, not even a mortgage on my home. Plus, I have other business endeavors. And when I get referrals, the volume makes up for the cut rate.
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