Do I really need a website?
Yes! Think of it this way: a website is a 24/7 employee that promotes your company and delivers valuable information to customers. Regardless of what industry your business is in, a website will save you so much time and money in the long run!
People often overlook how many options a website has to offer, thinking that there’s nothing online for their offline/offbeat business. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
How much does a website cost?
It really depends on what you want and need. Our lowest package starts at $599, but we’ve built websites ranging up to $20,000 and more.
Before we can provide a quote, a FFX team member will talk in-depth with you about your specific business needs, marketing strategy, future goals, and budget. Then we do our best to find the solution that combines all of these into a comprehensive, cost-efficient proposal.
Read the blog “How Much Does a Website Cost?
Can you help me update my existing website?
In most cases, yes! Prior to giving you an estimate, we’ll have one of our developers look through your site to make sure that there aren’t any major issues with the code. As long as there aren’t, we’d be happy to redesign and/or update your current website for you.
How long does it take to design & build a website?
The average timeframe for a website build is seven weeks, but this will vary based on the size of your project and our overall project load at the time. A schedule will be agreed upon before we begin your project.
Do you only work with Portland-area businesses?
Absolutely not. The beauty of our work is that it can be done from anywhere, so many of our team members spend a portion of time traveling for various events and personal reasons throughout the year. We’ve built a strong network of friends and partners outside of Portland, and we hope to continue working with businesses from all across the world.
What is the difference between template and custom websites?
It all comes down to the amount of development time necessary. The term “template” often throws people off, thinking that they’ll get a duplicate copy of hundreds of other sites on the web. In reality, a template just gives us the framework for a website. We still customize the design, adjust the layout, and format your information and images. For this reason, templates are perfect for many businesses.
On the other hand, a custom website is built entirely from scratch. This option is best for businesses with complex needs and/or specifically defined branding standards that a template will not accommodate.
Why do you ask what areas of my website I’ll need to edit?
Certain design structures will make the website pages look amazing, but be nearly impossible to edit yourself. We want to make sure that your business can keep functioning after the new website goes live, so we create a plan that gives you access to edit the most necessary areas.
What platform do you build your websites on?
Our team works with most of the major CMS platforms such as WordPress, Magento, etc. We can also build a custom website separate from any CMS- it all depends on what you’re business needs!
What kind of technology do you support?
We build our websites using a combination of HTML5, CSS3, PHP5, JavaScript, jQuery, CodeIgnitor, Laravel, Bootstrap, and MySQL.
Are your websites search engine friendly?
Yes. We build every website using the principles of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) development structure, and each website comes SEO-ready with it’s own set of meta data backed by industry research and your site’s main objectives.
We also offer an upgraded SEO package called SEO Pro, which includes in-depth competitor analysis, internal link structure, content optimization, and meta data for each internal page.
Are your websites responsive?
Absolutely! Every website that we build is responsive, meaning that one single set of code adjusts to fit whatever screen size it’s being viewed on.
Learn more about responsive design on our blog.
Can you help me write content for the website pages?
Yes. We offer copy writing services on a page-by-page basis, so just let us know which areas you’d like help with!
Can you help me with graphics and/or photography for my new website?
Yes. We can either find stock images to use across the website or create our own. Custom graphics can be made for any purpose (including logos, icons, & advertisements), and we offer both product and artistic photography.
What will you need from me?
A little of everything. Our team will provide you a list of the exact materials we need when we get started, but every project requires the following:
A Logo
Preferably in a vector format (.ai, .eps) so it can be edited into different sizes. If you do not have a vector file, a large image should work- or we can recreate one for you.
Website Content
This should cover every inch of the website, including the homepage, internal pages, page names, and contact information. However, we do try to optimize homepage content for the best possible conversions, so the homepage content you provide may be tweaked and/or rearranged.
Imagery
Graphics or photographs that describe your business. Larger, high-resolution images are required.
Logins
Any usernames & passwords to your current website, hosting server, blog, etc.
Who will I work with during the project?
After the contract is signed, you will be assigned a Partner Relations agent that will work with you throughout the project. He/she acts as the project manager and is the liaison between you and the team developers/designers/SEOs working on the site.
Do you outsource work?
Never! Everything we sell is produced in-house by our wonderful team. Many web design companies will outsource the bulk of their development work overseas, but we know the only way to guarantee our products is to build them ourselves!
How many changes can I make to my website during the build?
The number of reviews & changes you’re allowed to make will vary based on what your project entails. For smaller projects, partners do not have a chance to review the website until it is nearly complete- at which time they may request a handful of minor changes.
Meanwhile, larger projects have scheduled review dates, where your Partner Relations agent shows you the progress and discusses any changes you’d like to have made. There may be 1-4 reviews during any given project, and typically two major changes and unlimited minor changes are allowed.
Do you provide training?
Yes. Once your website launches, your Partner Relations agent will communicate everything you need to know about maintaining your new website. We also offer a two-week Q&A period, where you can contact your agent to ask questions and get help.
What other kinds of assistance can I get post-launch?
Q&A and technical support is available to all of our partners anytime, at our current hourly rate. We also offer monthly support packages that cover website updates, backups, and changes for ongoing maintenance.
Am I able to see how many visitors come to my website?
To track visitors, you will need a Google Analytics account. We are more than happy to add an Analytics tracking code into your website, but you’ll need to create the account and provide the code.
What is a domain name?
A domain is the address to your website (www.yourwebsite.com). It must be registered with a domain name service and is paid on a yearly basis.
Who will manage my domain?
If you already own your domain and want to keep managing it, you absolutely can. If you have not purchased a domain yet, we are happy to do it for you or can show you how to do it yourself. When the time comes to launch your website, the person managing the domain will have to point it to the new site. But since the only cost involved with domain management is the yearly renewal fee, it’s really up to you!
Hosting
What kind of hosting services does Fawkes FX offer?
FFX hosting plans are designed to cover the exact space and bandwidth that your website needs, and range from $7-$30 per month (our average partner needs $10/month in space)
Can you work with my website host?
We can, but we highly discourage having separate website and hosting providers. Not only does it create chaos for you if something goes wrong on the website, but it usually makes fixing the problem much more difficult.
Payments
What is your payment policy?
For most website projects, we require a 50% payment up-front, a 25% payment upon the first deliverable, and a final 25% payment before the website is launched. Smaller projects will be divided 50/50, while longer projects may include smaller, more frequent payments. We’ve made exceptions in the past, however, so talk to us if you have specific needs for payments.
What type of payments do you accept?
Our preferred method of payment is PayPal, but we also accept credit cards, checks, and cash (in person).