about | the process | squarespace samples | questions for you

The following questions and answers will provide potential clients with a greater understanding of my approach to creating websites.

I read your questions but couldn't answer a few of them. Will you work with me anyway?
Of course! The list just provides us with a good place for starting off. Many people find it's much easier to answer the questions after considering more options and seeing more specific examples. I'm happy to help you flesh out even the very basic steps needed for developing your site.

We want our website address to be the same as our business name. Is this possible?
Many times it's possible to reserve the most sought-after domain for an established business. If you're lucky you'll have access to "yourname.com." Because, however, domains are available worldwide and businesses in multiple locations often have the same names, it's sometimes necessary to be creative when choosing your domain.

Let's use my name for example. I first bought melodywatson.com a number of years ago, and have since come across other people with the same first and last name. If one of these "other Melodys" wanted to have a website using this name, they might search alternatives such as: "melodywatson.info," or "melodywatson.net." If it were more important to them to "get the dot com," than to use just the name itself, they might search instead for "melodywatsononline.com" to see if it was available. Just identifying the right domain for your site can present an interesting array of challenges, and it's important to approach this step enthusiastically and with an open mind.

We had our logo designed years ago but don't have the original graphic files anymore. Can you use this logo on our website anyway?
It depends. If you have a fairly clean version of your logo on some of your printed material, I can scan it for you and see if we can't clean it up for the web. In some cases, I can also work with you to recreate some logos so they can be used for the web. Once I see what you have, I'll be better able to let you know what we can do.

If I don't have the skill to rework your old logo, I know a number of talented graphic artists who may be able to help you.

I like the way your sites look. Taking a look around your own website, though, I also see you're really busy with a lot of other things. If we work together, will you have time to develop my site when I need it?
Thank you! The key to all my projects is in setting a deadline. Because I am involved in a number of different projects, I try to work within a framework of a firm timeline when possible. If I have two website deadlines coming up soon, and have also registered to participate in an art festival two weeks away, it's quite possible I won't accept any new projects until some of my other deadlines have been met. 

I have an idea for an online store. When all the details come together, we'll be selling hundreds of items. I didn't see any sites like this on your sample pages. Could you help us anyway?
Although I'd love to hear more about your idea (shopping's fun, y'know!) I don't develop e-commerce sites. It's possible I could point you toward someone who could help you, if you'd like to share more information. But aside from helping clients add a PayPal button to sell one (or a few,) product, I'm not qualified to help you.

If you don't find the answer to your specific question, please feel free to contact me. I'll be happy to answer any additional questions you might have concerning the development of your website.