Frequently Asked Questions

What makes your company different than the others?

That’s easy; top-notch customer service! I’m attentive to details, and do not farm out projects to overseas companies. 

What fees are involved in getting my new website set up?

There are a couple different fees you need to understand when shopping around for a website provider: 

  • Hosting fee; you can think of this as your “rent” that you pay to have your website hosted on the Web. It also includes the registration of a domain name. Hosting fees can be paid on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.  Yes, my hosting fees are more than a retail hosting company (ie. GoDaddy), but here’s why.  I fully support and maintain your website platform. This means I keep the WordPress platform up-to-date, along with all the plugins that WordPress needs to function correctly.  I take regularly scheduled backups, and if your site goes down for any reason, I work diligently to get it back online as soon as possible (depending on your hosting plan, there may be a charge for this work). I also install state-of-the-art security software that helps prevent your site from being hacked or taken over by malware. The other guys that offer hosting for $5-6/month do not provide these same level of services.   
  • One-time fee to design and create your website.  This fee depends on several factors such as the number of pages, amount and complexity of content, number of images, and so on. You can find a general pricing guide based on the number of pages on our Pricing Page.
  • Update Fee when you want your content (text and/or images) updated. When you send me updates for your website, I track the time spent in quarter-hour increments and you receive an invoice for updates done for that month.  For websites built on the WordPress platform only, I can also provide you with a userid/password to make updates yourself if you are comfortable with the WordPress user interface.  You can find the current website maintenance hourly rate on our Pricing Page, but remember I bill in quarter-hour increments, not hourly.

What is your turnaround time?

While the turnaround time for your specific project may vary, most average-sized websites (up to 8 pages) are completed within 30-45 days.

Can you teach me to maintain my website?

To some extent, yes. At the end of the project you will receive two video tutorials to show you how to update content, upload and manage images, and create a Blog post. These helpful videos will reside in your Dashboard so that you can view them at any time. However, in-depth education and technical training beyond these videos is not provided. You are free to find consultants or coaches to teach you how to work in WordPress and there are also excellent resources on the web (such as Lynda.com) that provide top-notch video tutorials on hundreds of web-related concepts, including WordPress and Blogging. 

Why should I hire The Brilliant Assistant when I could create a website myself?

Good question! All the Hosting companies advertise “do-it-yourself” websites, which really make it look “oh-so-simple”, but it can be complicated and frustrating for a novice to create a great-looking website from the tools that they provide.

Rigid templates, limited color palettes and fonts, and non-professional imagery are usually all they have to offer…and when you get stuck? Good luck trying to get someone on the phone to help you!  You are definitely on your own with this method. 

My goal is to take away the frustration and provide you with a top-notch, professional website that stands out among your competitors and that doesn’t break your budget.

My websites look better, function better, and trust me, your customers will notice too. You can spend all the money in the world on SEO, but if visitors come to your site and it’s sub-par, they’ll leave quicker than you say ‘Website Tonite”!  😉 

 

If I am considering a new website, what kind of questions are involved?

You will be asked a bunch of questions, but the good news is – you’re not being graded on it!  Let us have a few minutes of your time for a Free Consultation, and we’ll explain it all… and yes, ask a few questions.  To see a sneak peek, visit this Questions for New Clients post. Just don’t get overwhelmed!

How do you charge for website updates once the site is live?

When you send me updates for your website, I track the time spent in quarter-hour increments and you receive an invoice for updates done for that month.  For websites built on the WordPress platform only, I can also provide you with a userid/password to make updates yourself if you are comfortable with the WordPress user interface.  You can find the current website maintenance hourly rate on our Pricing Page, but remember I bill in quarter-hour increments, not hourly.

This sounds great, but how do I know how much you’ll charge me?

Please call me at 919-249-8710 or fill out the form on the Contact Page.

We’ll talk about your needs and goals, and I’ll prepare a proposal with pricing range (which is valid for 30 days). 

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