Website Design - Frequently Asked Questions

There are a number of questions you might have about our website design process and so this page will attempt to answer some of the more common questions. If you have a question that isn't answered on this page or the other pages listed above, you can include it in your quote request or contact us.

Virtuosi Media logo Virtuosi Media, a name you can trust

The questions and answers are assorted according to the following categories: Pricing, Legal, Technical, Process, and Miscellaneous.

Pricing

How much do you charge for a website?

Each website project is unique in size and scope. We don't list our prices on our website because we want to listen first to our client's wants and needs before quoting a price. We find that full understanding of a website allows us to better estimate a price at the outset of a project rather than having to add to the price later because something was missed. That allows you to stay within your budget and it's a lot less stress all around. If you're interested in a site, fill out the free quote and we'll be in touch with you to schedule a meeting either in person if you're in the Vancouver, BC area or on the phone if you're not.

What is the payment schedule?

Once a contract is signed, we require a 50% deposit before any work begins. Another 25% is due after the design and layout are finalized and the final 25% is to be paid before the website is transferred to the client's server. Please view our process schedule for more details.

Do you accept credit cards?

We accept all major credits through Paypal. We also accept checks.

Are domain registration and hosting included in the price?

No. We don't host our own servers. Clients must purchase their domains and hosting packages separately. We do this in order to keep billing separate because domains and hosting are recurring costs. For any server-related problems, it's best to let the hosting company handle the issue. If you're looking for a reliable provider, we recommend GoDaddy. Please also see our hosting requirements.

Is a contract mandatory?

Yes. In order to protect both us and our clients, we always require a contract. Contracts relieve stress on the business relationship by detailing expectations and work schedules. Really, it's easier all around once a contract is in place because both parties know what needs to be done.

Can I terminate the contract?

Yes. If you no longer wish to work with us, the contract can be terminated and any work done up to that point will be returned to you. However, any deposits are non-refundable and will retained for completed work.

Who owns the code of my website?

In order to create websites in a timely fashion, Virtuosi Media has compiled a code library that may be reused in each project. Because of this, we must retain the rights to our code. We also reserve the right to use open-source software or code. However, the design and content of the website belong solely to your business.

Technical

What programming languages do you use?

PHP and JavaScript are our weapons of choice when working with XML, HTML, and CSS.

Why don't you use Flash?

Flash has a number of usability and accessibility issues that can impact a user's experience of a website. Search engines also have a very difficult time indexing Flash content, and so your website might not rank as well if Flash is used. Because of this, we don't build or recommend websites built entirely using Flash. Almost everything that you see done with Flash we can also do in JavaScript.

Despite the drawbacks, however, there are a few good use cases for using Flash that don't have the negative factors. Most online video is done with Flash. A lot of online advertisements also use it. In these instances, we recommend using Flash.

What features can you implement for my site??

We can do a lot. Blogs, online stores, forums, quizzes and surveys, user registration, contact forms - you name it, we can probably do it.

Is it possible to do _____?

Go ahead and ask us, we love a challenge!

What kind of hosting setup do I need?

We recommend an Apache server with FTP access capable of running PHP 5 and MySQL 5.0.

How secure will my website be?

It's important to understand that no website can be made 100% secure. Website security doesn't work like a typical on/off switch where you're either secure or not. Rather, it's more like a dimmer switch where you can be more secure or less secure.

That said, security is one of our top priorities and we take it very seriously. We understand the most likely attack vectors and we take steps to ensure that every website we create will be as secure as possible.

Process

How long will it take to build my website?

Each project is different, but most smaller websites will take about 4 weeks to complete, from the time of our initial meeting to launch. You can see our process schedule for more details.

Why do I have to submit my content within 10 days?

We ask our clients to submit their website content including text, images, and videos in order to keep the design process moving in a timely manner. If producing content is a difficulty or inconvenience, we can write or edit the copy or create images or buy stock photos for use on the site for an extra fee.

Do you do SEO?

Yes and no. We don't offer specific Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services like link building, but SEO is part of our web design process. Your website will have an SEO-friendly structure and will naturally rank well in the search engines. We'll also give you a little training as to what works for SEO. If you don't want to wait, you can also check out one of our many SEO articles.

Do you offer on-going support?

Yes we do. A good website is never really a finished product. Ideally, we'd like to be able to work with our clients to continue to test, improve, and expand their websites over time. We install analytics by default on all of our websites because we believe that anything that can measured can be improved. Something can always be done a little better or become a little more efficient. If you're interested in on-going support after your website is launched, please contact us for more details.

How can I update my site?

Every website we build will use a Content Management System (CMS) that has an administration area that you can log into to update your site for basic changes like editing text or adding a new page. If that sounds intimidating, don't worry. We'll provide some training on how to use it. It's really easy and if you can use Microsoft Word, you'll do just fine.

If you need more extensive changes like changing how the site looks or functions, just send us an email and we'd be happy to implement the changes for a fee.

Miscellaneous

Why is the quote form so long?

Our quote form is a little longer than those of some companies because we want to understand your business thoroughly so that we can accurately quote and deliver a website that meets all of your needs. The questions are designed to focus on your business needs and what you really want out of a website.

Where can I learn more about Virtuosi Media?

You can visit our about us page or you can contact us. We'd be happy to chat.

What makes Virtuosi Media different from other web design companies?

We listen. No one knows your business better than you. We can help you achieve your business goals online and we can do it in a way that will make both you and your users happy. We won't sell you features you don't need and we'll explain each recommendation in detail. Business online is something that we understand very well (check out our series on a checklist for business websites). We pay attention to every detail so that your website will be an effective and professional representative of your business.