Design and Consultation Services
I started building websites in 1995. That experience gives me the ability to provide you with the following kinds of services:
- Websites custom designed to your specifications
- Projects ranging from complete turnkey packages to existing site maintenance, tune-up or overhaul
- Small business, nonprofit organization, and ministry websites
- Individual, special occasion websites (for example, wedding anniversaries, milestone birthdays, etc.)
I can help you with all phases of the site creation process, from audience identification to graphics design and site layout... from securing a domain name to registering with search engines... from integration with existing promotional material to ongoing site maintenance. And, speaking of search engines... I can help make your new or existing website rank higher in search results for the terms your clients will most likely use to find you.
My design philosophy is pretty straightforward, by the way. I believe a website should serve the client and the client's clients, not the website designer. My goal is to provide you with a reasonably priced, fast-loading and attractive site that clearly and succinctly gets your message across to those who visit it. "Bells and whistles" may be fun for me to design, but if they don't help meet that goal, they shouldn't be on the site.
What I Don't Do
Website design encompasses a staggering array of technologies and frankly, I can't master them all. Therefore, I've elected to focus my efforts in some fairly specific areas, and this means that there are some types of projects I'll not get involved with:
- Database-driven sites
- Flash-based sites*
- E-commerce sites that require a custom-designed shopping cart. (I limit my e-commerce involvement to those sites that can effectively employ PayPal's very good shopping cart system, or other turnkey e-commerce packages such as those provided by GoDaddy.com.)
- Projects that require a custom Content Management System (CMS) to allow the client to maintain the site after its built.
I can, however, design a site that can be maintained using Adobe Contribute, which is often sufficient for most clients who are interested in doing their own occasional updates to text and images on their sites. Note that this option requires the client to own a copy of Adobe's software.
I can also design a site around the excellent WordPress platform, which allows the site owner to maintain it via a browser-based interface. - Along those same lines, I don't provide training on how to build and maintain websites.
I also don't accept projects for particular types of businesses, organizations or purposes. For example, I don't build sites for the following:
- Political campaigns or candidates
- Adult content
- Multi-Level Marketing
*I can provide Flash-based elements in a design, such as rotating photos. See the bottom of my home page for an example.
Pricing
I generally do not charge by the hour for website design and construction. Instead, I prefer to define the scope of the project with the client and then provide a turnkey price estimate for the entire job. This eliminates unpleasant surprises and reduces the client's anxiety level.
As a general rule, the typical site for a nonprofit organization starts at $300, and the typical commercial website starts at $500.
My consultation time to define the project is provided free, as are my cost estimates.
Fees for ongoing maintenance range from $40-$60 per hour (nonprofit groups get a discount). You'd be amazed at how much I can get done in an hour!
A Geographical Note
Not everyone is fortunate enough to live in west Texas... or even in Texas, for that matter. Not to worry; I've done websites and provided consultation for clients from Houston to San Antonio to Amarillo, and from California to Missouri to New England. This is one business where the quality of the final product doesn't depend on face-to-face meetings. If we can communicate by email and, occasionally, snail mail and telephone, I can build the website you've always wanted, no matter where you're located.
What Next?
Well, if it were me, I'd want to know what kind of product I'm getting for my money. I'd want to see some real life samples of the work...samples like you'll find on the next page...
phone 432.686.8985 (Central Time Zone | GMT-6)
info@ericsiegmund.com
