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Jolly Spider gets a lot of the same type of questions, both on the phone and in person. Perhaps a Frequently Asked Questions page would be in order? Here goes (and if you can think of any others we should have included, send them along): 1. Why do I need a Website anyway? A Website works 24/7, even when you're sleeping or on vacation. It helps you share your expertise, interact with customers, sell products, express your opinions, and free your staff from responding to the same questions over and over. It would be next to impossible to find a more cost-effective means to promote your services or products worldwide! 2. What should I look for in a Web designer? Besides technical skills, a designer should be accessible (relatively easy to get in touch with), a good communicator (someone who can simplify the complex), a professional (someone who is eager to take on your project, answers your questions promptly, works quickly and competently), offers you a contract, works within your budget, and has a portfolio to showcase previous projects, along with a bunch of satisfied clients. 3. Can I get music and blinking things on my Website? Yes, but we wouldn't recommend it. Here's why: Many people surf the Internet at work or in quiet surroundings like libraries. To have music suddenly blast out of their speakers is annoying. Also, studies show that blinking things detract, rather than attract, attention. Embedding video into your Website will cost more, too. 4. Why do I need to update? Jolly Spider does "routine maintenance" on Websites we've designed; many other designers have quit offering this service. It doesn't cost much to update regularly, and if you can't (or don't want to) do it, someone should. Once your pages are on the Internet, things change -- your staff, your prices, maybe even your business name. Who wants to see dated material online? Also, search engines thrive on new content, so if you want to increase your page rank, add some fresh text! 5. How much does a Website cost? Most of the sites Jolly Spider has designed fall in the $500 to $3,500 price range. It's a little like buying a car -- much depends on the options you choose. Specialized programming languages, shopping carts, databases, and so on raise the costs. We try to work within our clients' budgets to design a site they're proud of, without putting them in the red! Check your local newspaper or TV station for advertising rates; that might give you a more realistic comparison. And remember -- while paying a lot doesn't mean you'll get a lot, paying on the cheap ensures that's just what you'll get!  6. How fast can I get up and running? That depends on you. If you've got all your materials in hand and know what you want (and can convey that to your designer), your site could be active within a few weeks. Most sites, however, take several months or longer to complete. 7. Does Jolly Spider offer hosting? No, Jolly Spider prefers to devote time and energy to designing Websites, not managing a hosting operation or expensive servers. 8. Why can't I right-click and copy your photos? At Jolly Spider, we've gone to a great deal of effort taking the digital photos on our Website. We know they're beautiful, but their beauty would diminish if they were plastered all over the Internet. So we've added precautions to make copying difficult. Don't forget, copyright law makes text and and photos the property of the creator, unless the creator decides to transfer that right to another (and we haven't!). Enjoy, but don't steal! 9. What's the weather like where you are? That depends. Sometimes it seems to change from one hour to the next! 10. Why do I have to sign a contract? Contracts are really in your best interests, too. They protect both parties in an agreement from reneging on the promises they make (you to pay, us to perform work for you). They establish a level of professionalism that a simple handshake doesn't. 11. Why doesn't my new Website look like my brochures? The Web is a different medium than print. At Jolly Spider, we try to use as much information from your print advertising elements as you'd like, but your Website probably shouldn't be an exact match. 12. Where did the name 'Jolly Spider' come from? We're glad you asked! The 'Spider' part originated because it's spiders that build webs; the 'Jolly' half came because we love what we do, and we feel privileged to get paid to do what we love! 13. Do I get a choice in style, color, etc.? Of course you do -- it's your Website! Jolly Spider works with you to select a pleasing palette, typeface, graphics, and layout, but the client always gets first "right of refusal." That said, there are some choices we'll strongly advise against, and you'll need to trust our expertise on this.  14. Why should I choose Jolly Spider? Debbie has a unique background of experience (writing, photography, technical skills, sales, marketing, public relations) that make Jolly Spider the right choice. We focus on accuracy, quick turnaround, and client satisfaction. We aim to please, and we stand 100 percent behind our work. Our clients say we do outstanding work and are easy to collaborate with. Call us and see for yourself! 15. Can we work together even if I'm not in your local area? Absolutely! We can e-mail text and photos, as well as information needed to register for domain and hosting; we can publish pages to a temporary server so you can take a look as the project progresses; we can converse over the phone; we can even set up a face-to-face meeting at a halfway point. Many communities don't have a single local professional Web designer and must rely on someone far away. 16. I can't write or take pictures. Can you do that for me? You bet! Jolly Spider is experienced in both copywriting and digital photography. Put your project in our hands and know it will come out right! 17. Do you do radio/TV scripts? For direct mail, flyers, ads, radio/TV scripts, speeches, or instructional manuals, we recommend Commercial Copywriting and Consulting, a Bloomington, IL, firm. Tell them Jolly Spider sent you! 18. What should I do now? Contact Jolly Spider, of course! Call or send us an e-mail now, while it's fresh in your mind.

Contact:  P.O. Box 405       Mattoon, IL 61938        217.235.9608        debbie@jollyspider.com