What can a website do for me?
Anything you want it to! (Besides wash your car and cook your dinner). It is a non-stop advertisement for you that can be reached at any time from all over the world, it can inform people, amuse them and sell your product.

Why does it matter how it looks as long as it works?
Well you could say the same about clothing… or houses… or food. What does it matter what it looks like so long as it keeps me warm/shelters me/fills me up. Humans are visual creatures. The way something looks is vital to its success - especially in the cut-throat world of business. That’s also why people don’t wear sacks, live in barns or puree their food. Well, maybe…

But I’ve seen people who can makes websites for ’super-cheap’ prices, what’s wrong with that?
Well if someone offered to do your heart surgery for $20 would you jump at the deal? Probably not. Up to a point, you get what you pay for. Often people will know how to make a site function well but will have no idea of design. Or vice versa. These are often the ones that churn out sites and can therefore afford to underprice. But even that $20 will be too much to pay for the surgery if they don’t use sterile instruments… That’s not to say you have to pay megabucks either. Have a look around, compare prices and portfolios, and that will give you an idea of what it is reasonable to pay. There are snakes out there you will rob you blind, but there are equally as many cowboys with temptingly cheap prices - be wary!

So, I want to establish a strong presence on the Web. But where do I start?
Well you give Crescendo a ring of course! You might have a clear idea of what you are after, or no clue at all. Either way, get in touch and we’ll have a chat, and we can give you an idea of price, and make some suggestions for what you could do.

How long does it normally take to design a web site?
It really depends. To give you an idea, a standard 5-or-so page website can be up and running within a week. However, we usually find it doesn’t depend on our speed… but more on the client’s. If we send you designs to look at and you take weeks to look at them and get back to us… then the website will take weeks longer to finally be live. If you decide overnight, provide content right away and get back to us, it will be done super quick. In this case we would likely give you a substantial discount on the overall price for the site…. We like quickies! No worries if you need some time though, we always work to your pace.

If I already have a site can you help me improve it?
Sure thing. It’s a good idea to update and change around your website from time to time anyway. If you have one that’s done the trick until now but you just want to give it a bit of a facelift, let us know.

Can you use my company’s existing logo, brochure design, and other materials for my website?
Sure. It’s a really good idea to do this actually - that way you can make sure your branding stays consistent, and gives us a good idea of what kind of look you’re going for.

Do I need to be computer-literate to have a website?
Nope, not at all. That’s what we’re for!

What are the things that you expect from me to complete the web site design?
You can give us as much or as little direction as you like. Examples of existing branding, a list of websites you do and don’t like, and a bunch of content to go on the site are all really helpful but not essential if you don’t have them.

What happens if I want to add to the site or make changes?
Some companies will charge you rotten for additional changes, but in reality most minor things only take a few minutes and we’ll charge accordingly. If it’s a major thing, we’ll advise you of the cost and then do it for you. To update the site yourself, you will need a content management system - see the next question.

What is a Content Management System (CMS)?
This is a piece of software installed with your site allowing you (the client) to log in and make your own changes. But, and this is a BIG but, you need a good one. We have a great one which is used all over the world, and it’s a piece of cake to learn to use. It comes standard with every site we make, as does a free tutorial on how to drive it.

What if I don’t have time for meetings with you? Is it ok to do everything over the phone or email?
Yep, no worries at all. We can come to you, phone you, or just use email. Let us know what’s easiest.

How many pages would a standard site have?
A standard brochure-type site might have around 5 pages, for example ‘home’ ‘about us’ ‘products’ ‘pricelist’ and ‘contact us’ but it can have anywhere from one page to hundreds.

Can you organize domain and hosting for me so I don’t have to worry about all that side of things?
Sure can, go here for more info.

Can you set up an email address for me?
Yep, once you own www.yourdomain.co.nz, then you can have as many email addresses there as you like. For example bob@yourdomain.co.nz, mary@yourdomain.co.nz info@yourdomain.co.nz and so on. You get the idea. They are infinitely more professional than a hotmail or gmail address, so it’s worth getting a domain even if you don’t have a website there yet.

How do I get high on the search engine rankings like google?
Well there is no hard and fast rule for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). In general, the site will be given a ‘rank’ based on how ‘important’ it is. A number of factors can contribute to this. We’ll do everything we can from our end to elevate your ranking (which includes keywords, meta tags, constructing the site according to certain rules and submitting your site to search engines). There are a bunch of things you can do to help too. You can submit your website to as many directories as you can (the more sites that link to yours the better) and also put your URL on everything you give customers. Put it at the bottom of your email signature, have it on your business cards, any advertising you do, and so on. You want to have a lot of traffic going to your site, as this helps too. Basically there is no magic formula but a well-constructed site and a bit of exposure should help you turn up in the search engine results pretty soon. If you want better results that you are getting, let us know. We have an SEO guru on hand who can give you a good idea of what you are up against, and how long it’ll take.

What if I don’t really know what to write for the content on my site?
We can copywrite your entire site for you, or just parts of it. If you aren’t sure how to put things, just give us the basic points you want covered and we’ll do the rest. Nadine is also an excellent proofreader, so if you just need your writing checked over, no worries.

Do you offer any type of discounts?
We have a flexible pricing structure, and pride ourselves on working to your budget. Click here to find out more.

What are domain names and hosting?
Click here to find out more

Can I switch my current domain/hosting over to you?
Yep, definitely. We’ll sort that out and just ask you for the details we need to do it

Can I choose you to design my site and use my own web hosting?
Of course, just check it with us first to make sure your hosting has everything you need for your site.

Who are your customers?
Anyone from dogsitters to corporate travel agents to psychologists and doctors. Go here to see some of our previous clients.

What if my question wasn’t answered here?
Contact us and ask it!