FAQs
| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |
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How do I get started? The first step to getting Columbia Designs started on your project is to request a quote. A quote will be returned to you by email or telephone. You will then be able enter the quote number online to create a contract. The contract will be created with the services you've requested and the quote provided. You will then print the contract and sign it. You can mail or fax the contract to Columbia Designs. Once we've received the signed contract and the required upfront deposit, we'll begin working. If you prefer to work with a Columbia Designs representative in person, please contact us. [Back to top] Will Columbia Designs program my design if I already know what I want? Yes, we will develop and code your design ideas or help you come up with design ideas. [Back to top] Will Columbia Designs help me with my design or design my site for me? Yes, we will help you come up with a design for your site if you are going to employ Columbia Designs in the development of that site. There is no extra charge for designing the site (like a design fee). First, you will be required to sign a contract securing our services. This will be based off the size and type of site you want. Then we will work with you to come up with a layout and design. [Back to top] Does Columbia Designs offer any consultation services? Columbia Designs gives free consultation once a service agreement is signed. This consultation period is setup to help us better understand the needs and expectations of our customers. This consultation period varies depending on the service. We are always happy to talk with you about your ideas, or if you have questions. Please feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it [Back to top] What are the differences between Basic, Dynamic, Interactive, and Supporting Pages? Basic Pages are webpages that only contain graphics, text, and basic HTML elements. These pages are still formatted to give a professional image, but they do not contain advanced features such as rollover style menus and cookies. They will not have any sections that change or move. Dynamic Pages typically require client side scripting. These pages have more animation effects such as rollover graphics and moving text. A Dynamic Page can have movable parts or sections that can change as the user interacts with them. Any pages that require JavaScript or other client side scripting for any purpose (for animation or form validation) are considered Dynamic Pages. Interactive Pages typically accept input from the user. They may also enter information into a database, automatically send email, or display data taken from a database or another site. Many pages in an e-commerce site are interactive. Supporting Pages aren't always required in a web site. These pages are used to prevent other pages from becoming too large and unmanageable. They also allow larger sites to reuse certain elements. External CSS Pages, Frameset Pages, and External JavaScript Libraries are examples of Supporting Pages. [Back to top] Does Columbia Designs offer Flash Development? Yes. We offer Flash Development at the same rate as our hourly consulting rate. Instead of standard web pages, Flash creates movie files that can be any size, complexity, or length. For this reason, Flash development and Actionscript programming are hourly. They are charged separately and in addition to other web page development charges. For example, a page with dynamic content and flash animation will be charged at the combined rates of the Dynamic Page Rate and Flash Animation Rate. There may be additional charges for large or very complex animations. Additionally, sites designed entirely in Flash may incur extra charges. [Back to top] What constitutes a page? A single web page should have a common theme and fit into the viewable area of the browser at common resolutions without the "top" of the page scrolling more than 50% off the screen. A single page should have no more than 350 words of content. [Back to top] What is content? Who is responsible for it? Content is the unique information on each page that you want your customers to see. It is provided by you, the customer. Columbia Designs Software Group will do the formatting of the content necessary to fit the design agreed upon. Content can include text, graphics, and links. [Back to top] How do I know what type of pages I need? What type of pages (Basic, Dynamic, or Interactive) you will need depends on the layout of your site and what kind of information your site presents to your users. Many times the content displayed in a Dynamic Page can be displayed on a Basic Page, but the presentation may not be as eye catching or interesting. There are times when a Dynamic Page is required like when you need to have large amounts of content on a single page and require menus or validation of user input. If your site needs to collect data from users, or interact with a database, then an interactive page will likely be needed as well. Columbia Designs Software Group will determine what types of pages you need when going over a layout and design for your site with you. [Back to top] How are pages counted toward the total cost? We charge only for unique content pages, and not for each individual page in the site. For example, if you have a dynamic navigation menu on your site, you'll be charged the dynamic rate only once - for the first page - assuming that feature is duplicated as is without any changes on other pages. Subsequent pages that have additional or different dynamic content, will also be charged the dynamic rate. This prevents you from being double charged for content that is merely created once, and copied to other pages. This policy also applies to basic and interactive pages. [Back to top] Why does Columbia Designs charge by the page? Columbia Designs chose to charge by the page to make is easier for our customers to calculate the cost of developing their site. Many other web designers base their rates on hourly charges, and may not post those rates on their web site. Our rates can easily be found here. With our pay structure, you don't have to worry how long the project will take to complete, or other things you can't control. Our pay structure is designed to help you identify the cost up front, and to feel comfortable about where the money is going. [Back to top] What is a Setup Fee? If your site is not hosted by Columbia Designs, a Setup Fee is charged for setting up your site on your webspace with your ISP. This includes registering your site with Internet Search Engines, uploading the data to the site, and creating email accounts (for providers that offer email). You do not have to host your site with Columbia Designs. You will have to pay a Setup Fee only if you need Columbia Designs to setup the site on your ISP or any other Web Hosting Company. If you can arrange to get the site setup and registered yourself, then you do not have to pay a Setup Fee. The Setup Fee is waived for all sites hosted by Columbia Designs. [Back to top] Will I get email with my site? If you host your site with Columbia Designs, you will have email addresses. These are standard internet POP3 mailboxes. The number of email addresses you get will vary with the level of the Web Hosting Package you select. [Back to top] What is hosting? Hosting is a service provided by a company where they setup your website on their computers (called webservers) that are connected to the internet. Then, once your domain name is registered, people can view your web site on the internet. Hosting companies use a wide variety of technologies to host your website. Please check out our web hosting services. [Back to top] Who hosts my site? You may host your site with whomever you wish. Columbia Designs will still develop your site and either deliver it to you for you to give to your Web Hosting Company, or set it up for you with your Web Hosting Company. If you require our setup services, you will be charged a nominal setup fee. Please check out our web hosting services. [Back to top] What is a Virtual Server? What is a Dedicated Server? A Virtual Server is a computer used by an ISP (Internet Service Provider) that contains many different customer's websites. On the internet, the websites still appear to be on their "own" server. A dedicated server is one that hosts or contains only 1 customer's website. This is appropriate when extremely high traffic, large database interaction, or other extreme conditions are expected. Columbia Designs Software Group uses Virtual Servers to keep costs down. [Back to top] Do I have to let Columbia Designs host my site? No, we can provide you with just design and development services if that is all you require. But please check out our web hosting services. [Back to top] What is a domain name? And why does it need to be registered? A Domain Name is part of the "address" (URL) of your website on the internet. This is the unique part that identifies your web site among all others on the internet. This site's domain name is Columbia Designs.com. It must be registered because computers find each other using numerical addresses (IP Addresses). These would be very difficult for people to remember. Therefore, your domain name is registered with special servers called DNS servers that can "lookup" the correct numerical address from your domain name. [Back to top] Who registers my domain name? You can register your domain name at any number of registration sites available on the internet. Columbia Designs will register your name for you for $20 per year. Domain names are "leased" for a duration. A common duration is 1 year. It is important that you remember this $20 fee is for 1 year only. If the registration is not renewed by you or Columbia Designs, you may lose your domain name. [Back to top] Will Columbia Designs host a site written by somebody other than Columbia Designs? Yes, but Columbia Designs may need to verify the stability, size, etc. of the site to be loaded. [Back to top] How does Columbia Designs ensure I am happy with my Site? Is there any guarantee? During the development process, your web site will be available from the "My Account" section of the Columbia Designs site for your review. At any time you may send us feedback. This gives you an opportunity to let us know if there are any problems or changes that need to be made. However, please remember that the changes are still governed by the specifications and vision outlined in your design agreement. If you need services outside what is outlined in the agreement, there will be additional charges. [Back to top] Which browsers will Columbia Designs test my web site with? During the development of your web site, Columbia Designs will test your site in the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, and Opera. Columbia Designs will also test for functionality in the previous two versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape. However, Columbia Designs does not guarantee complete functionality with these older browsers. [Back to top] How can I pay? Columbia Designs accepts cash, check, money order, or credit card. We use Paypal for credit card payments. You can setup an account with Paypal for free. It is a secure solution for credit card transactions. If you wish to mail a payment, please mail it to the address found here. You can pay us online through paypal by starting at our payment page found here. [Back to top] How do I use Paypal? Paypal is Columbia Designs's preferred way to receive credit card payments. To use paypal, you need to setup an account with them. It is free and secure. Then you may pay Columbia Designs by sending a payment to "billing@Columbia Designs.com". You may pay with any method allowed by Paypal. If you have questions or need help, you may also write to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . If you wish to pay us online using Paypal, start at our payment page here. [Back to top] When do I pay? You must pay a 25% upfront deposit at the time of contract signing. You will be sent an invoice for this amount. No work will begin on your project until this is paid. You can then pay the remainder of the balance upon completion of the project. [Back to top] Who updates my site's content? You may update your content yourself, or pay Columbia Designs to do it for you. It is your decision. Content updates are not a part of the normal web design services. [Back to top] What if my site gets frequent content updates and changes? If you have frequent updates to your site, then we suggest you get one of our Webmaster Services. The Webmaster Services provide a certain amount of content updates and data uploads at scheduled times in the month for a flat monthly fee. The number of updates in a month, and the amount that is updated each time is dependent on the WebMaster Service you select. Please check here for more on our WebMaster Services. [Back to top] What can I do if there is a problem with my site? Columbia Designs will fix any bug found in the original Columbia Designs code free of charge for 1 year after completion of the project. Most problems should be found by this time. If you encounter a problem you believe to be a bug after the 1 year anniversary, please let us This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will help on a best effort limited basis. [Back to top] What if I want to make changes after the site has been completed? If you wish to make changes after the site has been completed, we can make those changes for you at a 40% discount off the regular web design rates. This discount only applies to existing pages that were designed and developed by Columbia Designs. New pages (additions) and pages written by other designers and developers are done at our normal web design rates. Please see web rates for more information. [Back to top] Does Columbia Designs offer Internet Marketing Services? Internet Marketing is becoming a specialized field all to its own. Columbia Designs specializes in the technical nature of web site development and programming. We do not provide extensive internet marketing services. If you need these services, please let us This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and we can assist you in finding them. We have many partners that do offer these services. Columbia Designs will initially register your site in top internet search engines as a part of the Web Design Agreement, but you may want to consult a internet marketing specialist to increase your ranking, improve hits, and ensure you stay listed. [Back to top] What if I need a service you don't offer? Please let us This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it what your needs are. [Back to top] Do you offer e-commerce development? Yes. E-commerce sites can be very complex and are a perfect example of a site that must be custom developed for your business. Please complete our quote form providing as much detail as possible. If you need help, or have questions, please feel free to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . [Back to top] Is there a limit to how many graphics or pictures my site can have? No, you may provide as many graphics or pictures as you need. If you provide these in digital format (on disk, in email, or CD), then there is no limit or charge. If you need Columbia Designs to scan, create, or find graphics, or take pictures for you, there will be additional charges (see web rates for details). [Back to top] Will Columbia Designs design graphics or take pictures needed for my site? Yes, Columbia Designs will create or scan graphics and take pictures for your site. We will create, scan, or find up to 10 (combined) graphics for your site for free. After that, a nominal fee is charged (see web rates). We will take digital photographs for your site for a nominal fee per picture (see web rates). If you have large amounts of graphics or pictures for processing, please let us This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . [Back to top] What is a "jpeg" file? A JPEG file is a certain kind of graphic file that includes high compression to make them very small and therefore ideal for the internet. [Back to top] What is Search Engine Ranking and Optimization? Search Engine Ranking is how high in the list of sites returned by a search engine you are. Many things affect a sites' ranking in a search engine, and not all search engines look for the same things. Search Engine Optimization is the process a web designer uses to increase your rankings in the search engines. Many factors control your relevance in the searching engine including the design and content of the pages themselves. [Back to top] What if I need my project completed really quickly? If you need your project completed really quickly, we can give you special priority above other development assignments. There is a 25% surcharge on the total cost of development for this. The charge only applies when moving the delivery date up by at least 25% from the original delivery date listed in your quote. This does not mean you can only move it up by this amount. Columbia Designs may be able to move it up further for the "expedited delivery" charge. For example, if your original quote stated it would take 2 months to complete your project, Columbia Designs is willing to adjust other schedules to deliver the project at LEAST 25% faster (in 1.5 months or less - which is negotiated with the customer) for the "expedited delivery" charge. [Back to top] What is SSL? SSL is a protocol technology used in web sites to secure the data transmission between the browser, or client, and the web server. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer and provides security in web transmissions. It is usually seen in sites dealing with e-commerce, where the customer must provide a credit card # or some other personal data. You will know a site is using SSL when the URL stars as "https://" instead of "http://". SSL will use certificates to encrypt the data being sent back and forth between client and server. [Back to top] What is a certificate? A certificate is a type of computer ID that uniquely identifies and guarantees a specific person or entity. It could be said that certificates provide 3 types of security: 1) Authentication, 2) Data Integrity, and 3) Encryption. Most E-commerce sites are interested in the last form. Encryption of the data helps to ensure that anyone that captures the data during transmission cannot read it. Data Integrity helps to verify that data has not been altered and is in fact what was sent from the sender. Finally, the certificate authenticates that this data came from the person it says it came from - providing authentication. Much of this security is provided using complex mathematical algorithms used in public and private keys. Although keys can be a very complex topic, the general idea behind them is this: If you want to send something to a specific person, you will encrypt the data with their public key - which everyone has access to. The mathematical algorithms are complex, but ensure that only the matching private key can decrypt the message. Since the private key is only held by the person you intended the data to be sent to, you can be assured that only they will be able to decrypt the data. [Back to top] |