...The first steps...

You reading this web page is actually one of the steps that leads to the creation of your web site. Here you are reading about my service which indicates to me that you have already started your first step, and that step is called "YOUR INTEREST IN A WEB DESIGN". This is when you step back and ask yourself if you are seriously interested and wanting to know more. After reading this whole page, I urge you to contact me via phone or email so we can elaborate on what can be done to meet your business needs. When I receive your phone call or when I call you, this is when I will ask you more specific questions about your business so I can understand what I would need to discuss with you further. This is when the two of us schedule a time to meet in person or to have a scheduled phone consultation. During this time I can present to you some examples and also the two of us will brainstorm together on ideas.

"No Risks"

Let me bring out and let you know that there is no charge for consulting with you over the phone or in person. Most other companies charge per hour per phone consultation, and they ask for 50% of the payment before they even start designing. I believe that the best web design ideas happen during the time I am planning and brainstorming with my clients. I do not want you to feel pressured to hurry your thoughts or questions just because the clock is ticking (money). I do consultations (phone or person) for free.

"Your Type of Business and the Industry that it competes in"

Chances are good that I am familiar with the industry that your business competes in. If I am not familiar with your industry, I will research and review case studies of successful companies that have introduced a web site to their business. I will also learn how it enabled them to increase their bottom line.

After the two of us have discussed and "BRAINSTORMED" about what you want and need, then the designing begins! I can have your web site ready anywhere from 3-21 days depending on the size of the project. Before I start entering information that you gave me, I first need to come up with a design (the way the site will look). I will offer you different categories of layouts and show you examples of them. The following categories are the types of layouts you can choose from:

Professional layouts: are best if you want your web site to bring out and just focus on your text, information, and your logo if you have one. These are sleek designs and have nice non-distracting graphics.

Radical Crazy Cool layouts: are best if you want your web site to be eye catching and daring, crazy graphics, radical themes and designs. Sound and animation. These sites are good if you expect most of your audience to have high speed internet connections. If they are dial-up users, they may have to wait 10-30 seconds for your site to load.

Holiday layouts: are best if you want your web site to have the theme that relates to a certain holiday, religion, or seasonal weather.

Company Theme layout: for these types of layouts, I take a look at your business environment and see the type of decorations you have already invested in, and I create something that matches your atmosphere.

Your own "Idea" layout: this is when I close my eyes and listen to what your design idea sounds like, that way I "TRY" to create it in my mind.

After you agree on your Web Site's design layout, I then begin to fill the site with the information that you want to be shown. I format the text to whatever you desire and add photos, graphics, logos, video, music, etc, etc. Also another step in web design that most people are not aware of is making sure all graphics and photos are optimized for the internet. What this means is, if you give me a photo that is over 500kb-1MB file size, I use specialized software to reduce the file size to something that is appropriate for the internet, especially for your slow dial-up modem audience. After I minimize the file size, I retouch the color scheme if any quality was lost during the file minimization phase. During this designing phase you will be able to view the status of your site on the internet. I can have it available where anyone is able to see it or I can have your site password protected where only you give the password to those people that you want to be able to view it. After the site is complete I will remove the password restriction and then it will be available to the world.

"TESTING"

Before releasing it to the world, I do something that you won't be able to see. I stress test your site and test it for browser compatibility. What this means is I view your site with a variety of different technologies. The purpose of doing these tests is to understand how the site will look on the many different systems that your audience may be using. I will test your site on many operating systems: Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Linux, and Macintosh. The same is done with browsers; Internet Explorer Versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0 along with Netscape Navigator 4.0, 4.7, 6.0, 7.0, America Online browsers and MSN explorer browsers. I would like to mention now and to give you heads up that your site will never look the same on different versions and styles of browsers. But my goal is to at least make your site look good on all browsers. (For example if you are using Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher, you will notice that the SCROLLBARS on my site, is the color SKY BLUE. If you were using an older version or using Netscape, you will not see SKY BLUE SCROLLBARS, they might be the color GRAY) After I feel confident that your site looks pretty good on a variety of different systems, I then inform you that its ok to begin advertising and telling everyone about your Web Site!

 

"The Benefits & Reasons To Have a Web Site"

Unlimited advertisement. If you ever advertised in a local newspaper, you know the costs. You are being charged per line, per inch, and per color. On the Web, there is no limit to how much you can put. You can add pictures, articles, newsletters, rates, product images and so much more! The Web Site I create will allow you to compliment all the current advertising that you are currently doing. For example, some of you business owners are already spending money on phone book & yellow pages, newspaper ads, radio ads, flyers, mass mailings, business cards, etc. If I make you a web site, the next time you place your order for either yellow pages, business cards, etc, etc all you have to do is update and place additional text on your ad stating your web site address www.businessname.com

Your business will be open 24 hours a day. This means you won't have to stay open on Thanksgiving or Christmas day. If your customers live in towns far away from the Rio Grande Valley, they can still see what you offer. Any time someone wants to know your hours, location, directions, or any other details about your company, they can get it without disturbing you.

Low staffing costs. When you have a web site, you can offer your products and services without hiring any extra employees. You won't have to spend any resources on compensating or insuring your new staff members and still be able to maintain the same level of sales and customer service.

Gain new customers. Because anyone in the world can see your web site, you will gain customers from other states and countries while you are putting in the same amount of effort and money.

Create an image of a well established company. The Internet is a great medium through which you can create any image of yourself you want. It is all in your hands: design a professional web site, add helpful content, and your company will immediately take a step up in the image it represents. No matter how small your business is, with the right design and a great desire you can make it look like a corporation on the Web!

Save on postage and printing costs. Think of how many cards you mail out to let customers know about your sale. All of that can be eliminated by putting the sale information on your web site and inviting your customers to visit it. You can collect your customers' E-Mail addresses and keep in touch with them about special events in your store via E-Mail.

Improve communications. If you have employees or suppliers, your web site is the best way to communicate between you and them. Changes take effect as soon as you post them on the Web, and everyone can see updated information without having to wait for a new database of products, and without contacting you directly.

Impeccable customer service. This is a dream of any entrepreneur: "buy my product and leave me alone". By this I mean that business owners do not like to spend time explaining to customers how to use the product, how to install it, troubleshoot it, clean it, move it, turn it, and whatever else can be done to a purchased item. This can minimize calls to your office and help reduce support calls, because on your web site you will provide all the technical details of whatever it is you want to sell or describe. Maybe you can apply this example to your business. A flower shop spends close to 60-120 minutes a day just answering the phone and describing to customers their different products. A week later that same flower shop gets a web site, and when customers are calling from work or home, the florist can now tell the customer to visit the web site instead of being on the phone for 5-10 minutes describing what they have. Then the customer calls back ready to order over the phone.

A web site will become your best friend in meeting the needs of your customers. It will answer all their questions. Simply create a page of "Frequently Asked Questions" and include your web site address on every receipt that you give when they pay you. This way, before they come to you for help, they will come to your web site for answers.

Online presence - in step with your competitors. You must think of the Internet as a gigantic the Yellow Pages book. More and more people use the Web to shop for information, services and products. If you are not there - your competitors are! Can you imagine not being in Yellow Pages and try to reach local market? Unless you spend a lot of money on newspaper ads and other local promotions - no one will know your business exists. The same thing with the Internet. If people can't find your company on the Web, you might be missing some potential customers.

Provide an alternate purchasing method. Many people do not like to shop in the stores, malls and any other noisy places (I am first!). They are afraid of long walks, pressure from sales people, sneezing customers and shopping carts or car doors hitting their nice new car. Some people are just so busy that they never have time to go to your store or any stores. Once they discover online shopping - they will never go back to the stores unless absolutely necessary. By putting your products online, you satisfy the needs of such customers and therefore succeed in one more niche.

Showcase your work. Whether you are a real estate agent, lawyer, doctor, construction business owner or a beauty salon specialist - you can put your work on display when you have a web site. Anytime a potential client wants to see your past work and projects, simply refer him or her to your site. No need to scan and mail pictures, or bring your client to a finished building project.

Promotional Costs are very low. When I had a meeting with the manager of a local car dealership, he shared with me the costs of running an online ad compared to a newspaper or any other printed advertisement. He said, "We can run a whole month of advertisements online for the same amount of money we pay for one newspaper ad!" That's right, on an online promotion you can spend $50-90 a month, now compare that to paying 10 times that much for a one-time large ad in a magazine or newspaper, usually about! $1,000.

Beat your competition to the top. Competition online is huge today! There are over 3,000,000 sites on the Web and this number is growing. Still, I see many businesses here in the Rio Grande Valley who are not online and getting a web site is not in their near future plans. Why am I telling you this? Because if THEY don't get a web site - YOU have a better chance at succeeding. Insurance, home improvement, gift shops and other companies are among those I see dragging their feet in putting their businesses online. This means if you do it now, before EVERY company is online, you will be among the pioneers!

Yep, that's right - The Internet is still in its babyhood, no matter how many web sites there are out there. It has been less than a decade since companies decided to use web sites as part of their marketing strategies. Can you imagine what it will be like in 5-10 years??

I could go on and on, but I hope you are convinced: YOUR BUSINESS COULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A WEB SITE! But don't get me wrong, there are some businesses out there that do not need a web site. I'm the type of web designer that wants to take on projects for businesses that I know will gain additional value because of a web site. I will not try to manipulate or trick you into thinking that a Web Site will solve all your problems. Web Sites help "MOST"businesses but they don't help all. If I turn down your web site project, it is because I did not want to create a site for a company where the cost outweighs the benefits. However If you want a web site no matter what, even if its just for the purpose of bragging rights, then I will go ahead and take on your project. :)

Let me clear up one misconception that most business owners have. I have noticed that people always assume that in order to have a web site, you're obligated to accept payments via credit cards online. That is NOT the case, having a web site does not mean you have to accept online payments. Even if you are not planning to sell directly online, people will find your web site very convenient and useful which enables them to contact you about the services you offer. You can just display your services or products and then instruct the customer that your form of payment is either in person, phone, or mail. Like I said earlier, you can place your web site address in your newspaper ads and in any other promotional materials to make people aware of your web site. There are many customers that just pass up newspaper ads just because its lacking many pictures of what you sell or do, and they do not have time to visit your location. But having a web site with pictures suddenly changes all of that. They will see what you have online and then visit you in person now that they know you have something they want. The customers can then pay at your location.

"Pricing, Updating,Training & Renewal Rates"

What is all this going to cost? What am I saving by hiring Joey Cepeda to do my web design project? What about updates, changes and renewals?

Now we are at the section of the page that discusses my rates and pricing. This section will be brief since all businesses are usually different in what they want to do and the rates vary. Contact me for an exact qoute: The information below is just an estimate.

What is all this going to cost?

Ball Park figure is anywhere from $600-$900 dollars.
It costs me about $100-$300 for obtaining your web domain name and provisioning a web server for you.

What makes it vary are things such as the amount of pages, graphics, photos, length of video clips, and text information. If you wanted to sell online via all major credit cards, that will be an additional $150-$300 which would be paid upfront. The credit card system I set up will deposit directly into your bank account. For example lets say you and I agreed on a design that was $750 and if you wanted to sell about 10-20 items via major credit cards. That would be $750 + $250=$1000
Email Server:
Also for an additional $75 I will setup 1-5 emails/ and your computers to access email that is sent to your businessname.com. For example. I can have customers email me at joey@joeycepeda.com and help@joeycepeda.com
The same thing for you, if you want customers to email you with yourname@businessname.com I can provide you this service.

Due to my busy schedule 50% percent of the total cost, must be paid to indicate to me that you have sincere interest in having a Web Design. The remaining amount is due after I have your site fully completed on the internet, and when you are satisfied. I have 2 payment options.

1st payment option (w/ Free Business Cards): You pay the full amount after I have your web site on the internet, and I give you 250 full color business cards for free. These business cards are not rinky dinky and cheap looking. I will provide 30 designs that you can choose from to match your business theme/industry. It will have your web site address, along with mine, and any other information that you want. If you have seen one of my business cards then you have an idea of how your card could look like, except with a different design. These cards come with a matte finish and I recieve them within 21 days after your payment. If you would want glossy finish or sooner arrival, I will let you know the rates.

2nd payment option (over 3 months) With this option you can pay over a 3 month period. However the rate will increase by $100. For example lets say your total web site project was $800. It then becomes $800+$100=$900 /3 =divided by 3 months = 3 monthly payments of $300.

What are you saving by hiring Joey Cepeda to do your Web Design Project?

Some of you that just finished seeing my rates may be thinking that it is very expensive, some of you may be thinking that I am charging way cheap. Whatever the case may be, I'll tell you the secret if you want to know how to save the most money on a web site. The secret is by designing and creating it yourself. The ingredients that you need to make your own "CUSTOM" web site are the following:
1. Studying HTML web design for a few months, whether it be via online or if you buy some books.

2. Obtaining a powerful graphic edititing program or software suite. (Adobe, Jasc, Macromedia)

3. Studying about what FTP, HTTP, POP3 protocols are and how they work.

4. Learn about Web Hosting and how to upload your site, etc, etc.

5. 15-30 hours of designing your site, thats if you want a good looking one.

However, hiring me will save you precious time and headache. If you have a friend or relative that knows web design, perhaps they can give you a better deal and beat my rates. If you don't, let me go ahead and compare my rates to a company that you have probably heard of.

VerizonSupersite.com <a new window will pop open if you click
As you can see, they offer 3 plans.
The first plan, you dont EVEN get your own dedicated address. For example if I would have used used Verizon, my site would have to be www.joeycepeda.verizonsupersite.com
it only gives you 2 pages, and you have to design it via online. You don't have a person meeting with you face to face either. $72 X 12 months= $864

The 2nd plan is only 5 pages, and you do get your own dedicated www.businessname.com, you still have to design it online yourself. $99 X 12 months = $1188

Their 3rd plan is up to 15 pages and its $149 X 12months = $1788

The plans do give you platinum placement in their web site phone book, but to be honest and blunt, how many of your customers are going to be at superpages.com to find you? Most of your customers are going to find out about your web site from other avenues, such as newspaper, voicemail, cards, phone book, word of mouth, etc, etc.

I am confident that you will enjoy my services compared to some remote web design staff, who will consult with you only over the phone.

By using me, you will receive dedicated face-to-face, professional collaboration and consulting. helping you reach your business requirements or goals.


Thank You for your time in reading about my Web Design services. I hope to have the opportunity helping bring more value to your home or business.