Jolly Spider Custom Web Design Since 2001

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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:    1) Why do I need a Web site anyway? 2) What should I look for in a Web designer? 3) Can I get music and blinking things on my Web? 4) Why do I need to update? 5) How much does a Web site cost? 6) How fast can I get up and running? 7) Do you offer hosting? 8) Why can't I right-click and copy your photos? 9) What's the weather like where you are? 10) Why do I have to sign a contract? 11) Why doesn't my new Web look like my brochures? 12) Where did the name 'Jolly Spider' come from? 13) Do I get a choice in style, color, etc.? 14) Why should I choose Jolly Spider? 15) Can we work together even if I'm not in your area? 16) I can't write or take pictures. Can you do this for me? 1) Why do I need a Web site anyway?  A Web site 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. It would be next to impossible to distribute business cards or advertise your services or products worldwide! Back to Top 2) What should I look for in a Web designer?  Besides technical skills, a designer should be accessible (meaning someone who's 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. Back to Top 3) Can I get music and blinking things on my Web?  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. Back to Top 4) Why do I need to update?  At Jolly Spider, we certainly don't get rich on routine maintenance! In fact, some designers have quit offering this service entirely. Still, once your pages are on the Internet, things change -- your staff, your prices, maybe even your business name. And who wants to see dated material? Besides, search engines thrive on new content, so if you want your page rank to go up, add some fresh text! Back to Top 5) How much does a Web site cost?  Most sites that Jolly Spider has designed range from $500 to $3,500. Yes, we realize that's a broad range, but we never pull figures out of the air -- too many prospective clients have tried to hold us to them! It's a little like buying a car. A lot just depends on the options you choose. Specialized programming languages, shopping carts, databases, etc. raise the costs. We try to work within our clients' budgets to design a site they'll be proud of, without sending them to the poorhouse. Check with your local newspaper or TV station for advertising rates, and that might give you a better 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! Back to Top 6) How fast can I get up and running?  That depends a lot on you. If you've got all your materials in hand, and you know what you want (and can convey that to your designer), your site can be active in a couple of weeks. Most sites, however, take several months (or more!) as the client and designer go through everything with a fine-toothed comb. Of course, if your designer is terribly busy, you might wait longer than you'd like -- unless you're willing to pay "rush" charges (and your designer agrees to that). Back to Top 7) Do you offer hosting? At this time, no. Jolly Spider prefers to devote time and energy to designing Web sites, not managing a hosting operation or expensive servers. Back to Top   8) Why can't I right-click and copy your photos? At Jolly Spider, we've gone to a great deal of effort to take the digital photos on our Web site, and while we know they're beautiful, their beauty would lessen if they were plastered all over the Internet. Consequently, we've added precautions that make copying harder. Remember, copyright law makes text and photos the property of the creator, unless the creator decides to transfer that right to another (and we haven't!). So, please enjoy but don't lift! Back to Top 9) What's the weather like where you are? That depends. Sometimes it can change from hour to hour! As our seasons change, Jolly Spider hopes to put up new photos that might give you a glimpse into our area weather. Back to Top 10) Why do I have to sign a contract?  It's really in your best interests, you know. Contracts are set up to protect both parties in an agreement from reneging on the promises they make (you to pay, us to perform work for you). Back to Top 11) Why doesn't my new Web 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 Web site probably shouldn't be an exact match. Back to Top 12) Where did the name 'Jolly Spider' come from?  We're glad you asked! The 'Spider' portion originated out of the fact that it's spiders that build webs; the 'Jolly' came because we love what we do, and we feel privileged to get paid to do something we enjoy. Back to Top 13) Do I get a choice in style, color, etc.?  Of course you do -- it's your Web! Jolly Spider will work 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 us on this. Back to Top 14) Why should I choose Jolly Spider?  We have a unique background of experience making us the right choice! Our focus is accuracy, quick turnaround, and client satisfaction. We aim to please, and we stand behind our work 100 percent. Our clients say we do outstanding work and are easy to work with. Call us and see for yourself! Back to Top 15) Can we work together even if I'm not in your 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 goes forward; we can periodically converse via telephone, etc. Many communities don't have a single local professional Web designer. Back to Top 16) I can't write or take pictures. Can you do this for me? You bet! Jolly Spider is definitely qualified to write the text on your pages, as well as to take digital photos for you. If you're located a great distance from us, however, it's probably more economical for you to provide the photos you'd like to include! Back to Top