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FAQ's & Glossary
Frequently asked questions and information

Why do I need a website?
What will my website look like?
What will my website include?
What do I do first?
What is a domain name and how do I get one?
How long will it take to complete?
How do I get started?
Can I have a shopping cart?
Can I process credit cards?  What is propay?  What is paypal?
Why choose Sherlock Designs to design my website?
I already have a website why should I redesign it?
How much does it cost?  Payments?
After my website is done who owns it?
What is hosting and do I have to host with your server?
Does it have to be with us?
Why pay for hosting when there are free servers available?
How do I get visitors?
What is maintenance?  Can I maintain it myself?
My pictures aren't showing up or my links don't work what do I do?
For more detailed answers visit our getting started page.


Why do I need a website?  A business website is one of the most inexpensive forms of advertisement.  It has the ability to reach a global market 24 hours a day.  Easy and convenient for your customers.

What will my website look like?  We will customize your website so it reflects you and your products.  We have a large variety of graphic websets to choose from.  Graphics from our graphic shop are included in the price.  If you require custom graphics there is an additional charge.

What is a domain name and how do I get one?  A domain name is the name you are giving your website (such as www.sherlockdesigns.com).  Most are .com, but you can also get .net and .biz.  You can register your domain with us for $15 and free set up.

How long will it take to complete?  When we receive your down  payment we will give you a basic time frame, which usually will be within 2 - 3 weeks after receiving all of your information and pictures.  If we are unable to complete it within a reasonable time we will give you the option of finding another web designer if you prefer.  I will email you the url for the first page for you to preview and for your approval before designing the complete website.  We must receive everything from you within 1 month after receiving your down payment.  

Can I have a shopping cart?  We will set up a secure shopping cart so customers can purchase products from your site.  We can customize it so you can accept checks, money orders, visa, mastercharge and paypal.

Can I process credit cards?  Online shopping is easy and convenient for your customers especially when they can pay with a credit card.  We recommend you set up an account using Propay credit card services. For an annual fee of $35 you can process up to $1000 of charges per month.  What is Paypal? PayPal lets any business or consumer with an email address to securely, conveniently, and cost-effectively send and receive payments online.

Why choose Sherlock Designs to design my website?  At Sherlock Designs we will put our heart into designing your website to meet your needs and reflect your products as if it were our own site.  We have designed several country craft sites as well as informational and business sites.  

I already have a website why should I redesign it? Return customers are very important to the success of your website.  If you never update or add new products they will have no reason to return.  Change can be fun and revitalizing.  Fees for redesigning depend on what you want to have done.  Sometimes it is easier and cheaper to design a new site rather than making extensive changes to a website.

How much does it cost?  Payments?  We will design a website to fit your needs and budget.  We have a variety of website packages to choose from.  For pricing at a glance click here for more information.  We can customize a package for you - tell us what you want and email us for a quote.  We require half of the design fee as a down payment.  Final payment is due within 2 weeks of the completion of your website.  We will not upload your finished site until payment is received. The down payment is not refundable, so please make sure that you are satisfied with our arrangements before we get started.  If you are not please with the site, we will do our best to make improvements to satisfy you.  No refunds for services will be refunded.  We accept Visa, Mastercard, Paypal, checks or money order. 
 
After my website is done who owns it?  When your website is finished and paid for it is yours to do with as you please.  We can host it and maintain it for you or you can do it yourself.  We retain no rights to your site.  Your graphics are copyrighted and therefore belong to the designer, but as long as you continue to post a link to the designer's website you can use the graphics.

What is hosting and do I have to host with your server?  The easiest answer is just like you, your website needs a home, a place to host your website.  A host or server is a computer that stores websites so they can be viewed on the internet, you can not have a website without someplace to host it.  

Does it have to be with us?
No, it doesn't have to be with us, there are many good servers out there and we will be glad to publish it to another server if you want.  There is a $50 set up fee to publish to another server.  We have tried to make our program very affordable with lots of extras.  We feel that we have a good hosting program -  More space and bandwidth than you will ever need, no pop up ads, 2 email accounts and a lot of extras.

Why pay for hosting when there are free servers available?  Free sites such as Geocities and Tripod are acceptable for personal sites if you don't mind the pop up ads and advertising banners, but for a commercial site they do not give the impression that you are actually a business with any degree of success.  

How do I get visitors?  We offer a variety of promotional packages - search engine submissions, customized meta tags, craft Mall listings, banner exchanges and more.  For more information click here.  After all, you may have the best looking website on the internet, but if no one sees it what good is a website?

What is maintenance?  Can I maintain it myself?  You can sign up for our affordable maintenance program or your can maintain your website yourself.  We can update your pages, add new products with pictures and shopping cart information, post your monthly specials, add banner links, etc. each month.  For more information click here.   In order to maintain our site you need a basic knowledge of html and a copy of Microsoft FrontPage.  We offer no assistance or training if you choose to maintain your own site.

My pictures aren't showing up or my links don't work what do I do?  Because of my time restrictions we do not have time to check sites for missing pictures, broken links, etc.  We suggest that once a month you go through every page of your site checking for problems.  When your report these problems to us we will fix the problem.  If you have signed up for monthly maintenance it is part of the program, if you have not you will be charged an hourly rate for repairs.  We have a Report Form for you to fill out when ever you need work done on your site.

What do I do first?  We highly recommend that you spend an hour or so on the phone with us discussing what you would like on your website, etc..  Click here to get started.

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