Frequently Asked Questions
Most of my clients found me by word of mouth or the Yellow Pages. Why do I need a website?
Because it is where your customers expect to find you. How many times have you used Google this week? How many times this week have potential customers searched on Google for your products or services and found your competitors? The clients that your competitors are serving found them via their website. Their clients could have been your clients but they didn't even realise you existed.
How much does it cost?
Each client is unique and every website that Splotch Studio designs is different. There is no one price fits all because everyone has different expectations, goals and budgets.Splotch Studio has designed and developed budget websites from as little as $330 and fancier, complex SSL, ecommerce sites for a lot more. The price of any website depends on the time needed and the work involved. Obviously, if you are looking for a simple 5 page brochure website, it will take less time to build than a 60 page website with online forms, shopping carts, podcasting and online forums. Other costs that need to be factored in are web site hosting, photography or stock-photography and domain name registrations. Please give us a call or send us an email and we will be happy to discuss your individual requirements and present you with an obligation free quote.
How do I know I'll like what you create?
We always aim to please our client and we have an impressive track record. You are welcome to contact any of our clients to ask them about their experience with Splotch Studio. We are passionate about creativity and pleasing our clients. We understand that everyone has different taste and if you are looking for a conservative, corporate style website, logo or artwork, we wont in our creative brilliance deliver a wacky 3D animated, talking frog. (unless that is what you want!). Sometimes this means putting our personal taste aside to deliver exactly what you want. We ask questions during an initial consultation to establish what your taste is. We ask you for examples of other work that you admire so that we can get a feel for your expectations and preferences. We encourage you to look through our online portfolio so that you can see the quality of our work. We have years of combined experience and we know what works and what doesn't.
What are your conditions and payment terms?
When you are ready to proceed with a quoted project, you will be invoiced for a 50% upfront deposit. Payment details will be on the invoice (ie: Direct Transfer or Cheque). Work will commence as soon as cleared payment has been received. This safeguards against our designers working late nights (as most designers do), pouring their heart and soul into a project only to find that your cousin's nephew at Uni has offered to build you a free website. After completion of the project, you will be invoiced for immediate payment of the remaining 50%. Until full payment has been received, all work remains the property of Splotch Studio. We also reserve the right to display work that we do on our website for promotional purposes. This helps us and it helps you. Apart from the obvious free publicity that your business receive, it often this means a link back to your site. If you would prefer that we didn't display your project on our website, just let us know and we will happily remove it.
Can you help me maintain my website?
Yes. We love maintaining the websites that we build because we know how they were built and we know there wont be any nasty surprises. For our CMS websites (websites that are built using a Content Management System) we also offer a training service and CMS booklet where we can come out to your home or office to train you or your staff to make your own website updates (usually a 1 or 2 hour session). We can also update or maintain your existing website on an agreed hourly rate.
Do you offer web site hosting?
Yes, we set up and manage website and email hosting for all our clients. We will assess your requirements and find the most cost effective plan for you.
How long does it take for you to do a website from start to finish?
It usually takes about two weeks from start to finish for a static html site (a brochure site), depending on client feedback/response times and other variables. More complex websites with Content Management Systems, ecommerce features and lots of products, take longer. Please let us know if you have a deadline you need to make and we will let you know if it is possible. We will indicate a time-line for projects upfront.
Can you design me a website using the existing logo and colour scheme that I have been using?
Yes, definitely. We understand the importance of brand consistency and we are happy to work according to existing guidelines. We aren’t here to give you a new logo if you already have one that you are happy with.
If I get a new logo, what will happen to the 1000 business cards and letterheads that I had printed last year?
You might have to put them in the recycling bin! Sometimes a logo that was designed 15 years ago using Microsoft Word Clip Art needs to be revamped. Put your best foot forward. An outdated logo can negatively effect the appearance of a contemporary website. Therefore, it is a good idea to do some market research. Take a copy of your logo and go and speak to one or two dozen strangers who don't know you or your brand. Pick people who you might class as similar to your desired clients. Listen to their feedback.
Can you write the content for my website?
Yes and No. We do offer a creative writing service and we can help you to present your existing products and services in the best way using the most effective wording. The best person to come up with content for your website and brochures is you. You know your product, services and company DNA better than we do. If you would like to engage Splotch Studio to write content for your website, you will need to provide a rough first draft conveying what it is that you would like to communicate. From there, we will take it and rewrite it professionally. Copy writing needs to be agreed to prior to building a website.