FAQs

A few of the more common questions I get asked

Will my current site experience any downtime while the new one is being worked on?

If you have a current site, it will remain active during the process of designing your new site. When you are ready to launch your new site, there may be a few minutes of downtime while the domain is pointed from the old site to the new site but usually there is no downtime at all.

Will I own my website when you’re done?

Upon completion of the project I hand over all ownership of the design and design-related files to you, so you may use them as you see fit for your business. The website is hosted with the chosen hosting/cart provider and you pay them a monthly or yearly fee to host the site and files. This account will be in your name and billed directly to you, so you will have full control over your website.

Will I be able to update my site on my own?

Absolutely! You do not need to know HTML or buy any special software to do the daily, ongoing maintenance of your site (i.e. adding/editing products, managing orders, etc.) Many of our clients are first-time online business owners and that is why we use platforms that offer easy-to-use interfaces for clients to manage their sites on their own.

I have questions, can I still contact you?

Sure, just send me an email – It’s much easier for us to keep track of what you need when we have it in email format.

How does the web design process work?

Please check out our ‘Process page for details.

Will there be other fees after the design is done?

There are no additional/ongoing fees from Jem Website Design for the design after the project is complete unless you request additional work or maintenance at a later time. The ongoing fees you will have in general for running a website will be for your web hosting and domain name registration. Those fees vary depending on which provider you chose to go with, usually charged monthly or annually.

Will my website come up on the first page of search engine results as soon as it is launched?

This is a very common question I get asked my first time entrepreneurs.

The only way to do this is to run Pay Per Click marketing campaigns, such as Google Adwords, but there is almost no way that your website can rank highly in organic search results a week after it goes live.

As your website designer I include Basic SEO principles in each of my packages whist building your website. These include certain elements such as titles, headings, page names with your keywords in them, but those will only help slightly with how well you rank in search engines.

Please understand that search engines such as Google ask over 200 questions of each page before they deliver it to someone doing a search. Questions such as:

Does the search term appear in the title of the page
Is it in the heading and content of the website
Does it appear in the image alt tags
How many relevant websites link to this page

And many more.

Search engine optimisation process takes time – first you need to find the best keywords, ie. keywords that are searched often, but don’t have a lot of competition and then you need to work them into your website and also build links from other websites to yours.

How long does a custom web design take?

The time frame for custom sites varies depending on the scope of the project, how much information is readily available by you when we start, and how available you are to answer emails and provide information & feedback. You should generally allow 1 to 2 months for your project to be completed.

I already have a design, can you build it for me?

Yep – Sure Can! If you have the design files, I can convert the site into a top notch wordpress or joomla website.

Why should I hire you over another service provider?

I aim to provide my clients with a high quality, professional yet personal service. Working from my exterior home office, I have minimal overheads, and don’t have any staff to pay. By working this way I am able to offer affordable quality web design services.

Before I got into website design, my background was marketing research and consumer behaviour and I believe this is what sets me apart from my competitors – I create websites with the consumer in mind – no bells and whistles, just websites that work!

What experience, skills, qualifications or training do you have to make you the right person for the job?

Before I got into website design, I completed a marketing degree and then went on to work in the field of marketing research and consumer behaviour. I then landed a role which involved website marketing and it was from here that I found my niche.

I believe this is what sets me apart from my competitors – I create websites with the consumer in mind – no bells and whistles, just websites that work!

Is there a particular aspect of your trade or industry that you specialise in?

I aim to use open-source technologies that are widely supported in the marketplace. I have experience with a variety of technologies including Joomla and WordPress. These technologies offer out-of-the-box functionality that can be implemented much more cost effectively than a full custom build.

How do you normally charge for your service?

I have three packages – Basic, Standard and Complete. Clients choose a package based on their requirements. Additional costs include domain registration and website hosting.

What makes your pricing competitive?

Working from my exterior home office, I have minimal overheads, and don’t have any staff to pay. By working this way I am able to offer affordable quality web design services.

What are the typical things that you need to know before you can provide a quote to a customer?

Purpose of website. What they require – i.e web design, logo, shop, domain registration, web hosting, blog, email, crm, cms, seo etc..

What do you like most about your job?

I really enjoy what I do, which doesn’t make it feel like a job at all -more like a hobby.

How did you decide to get into your line of work?

With a background in marketing, each role I worked in, always involved maintaining content for the company website. I found, I had a knack for it, always achieved good results and decided to specialise in it.

How can a customer save money before you start the work?

Have a clear, realistic idea of what you’d like to achieve. Know your market – your customers and your competitors. Define your goals and objectives

What makes you the most reliable and trustworthy person for the job?

At Jem Website Design, I strive for a a happy customer and go above and beyond in order to make it happen!