• Do their links work throughout their own site?
• Are the graphical images and photos they're using in focus and in color?
• Is the idea behind their web design original or does it look like a template?
• Can you view the web designer's client list or portfolio?
• Do they come up in Google if you enter a search: ex - Maine Website Design - are they TOP TEN in Google? or at least, on the 2 first pages of Google? If they cannot be found with a basic search relative to their content, then your website will never be found either!
• Marketing skills... you certainly want to make sure your web designer has those skills!
  

Why Should I Hire a Website Design Professional?
We all know someone who designs web sites as a hobby - your nephew, a friend, a co-worker. This also explains why there are so many poorly designed web sites - or "all lookalike" - commercial template type of design. Some "designers" don't even bother to change the original photos...

Let's say you hire your nephew or an employee's relative who "creates websites in her spare time". The Result: Your website does not have the professional look that shows in your other marketing campaign so the first impression could be negative. Your site might be hard for web site visitors to navigate, the pages might take too long to load, or it could be just...plain boring, causing people to leave your website without contacting you.

From their first impression, website visitors do not take your business seriously and they choose to take their business to your competitor.

Web Design is a unique design medium and requires extensive knowledge in designing graphics and page layout for the Internet.

The Internet is VISUAL! You have 4 seconds to grab your visitor's attention. You miss with a poor design, your client is gone!

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and all of our web sites are designed with search engine placement in mind. That means your web site will rank well in a keyword search on search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo. Search engines change their algorithms and indexing methods constantly, requiring a great deal of continuous education on the part of your web designer.

What about the price?
It's not just about the price - it's also about originality in concept and successful search engine placement. The Port Web design team quote all of our projects as a package flat fee so you know up front what your web site project will cost. Search engine submission and metatags coding is included in our price. Some web designers do not submit your web site once it is finished and online, or they might charge you an extra fee to provide this service. Your web site has to be manually submitted to the search engines.

Again it's included in our package flat fee. If a web designer quotes an hourly fee for a website creation or a complete redesign of your website, remember that your final invoice might be higher than your initial quote. All future update and maintenance is billed at $45 for HTML and $65 an hour for Flash, PHP and database work.

To decide what type of website your business needs, or if you wish to update your existing website, contact The Port Web Design. We will analyze your business and offer online solutions that will be the most appropriate for your company.

WEBSITE DESIGN TERMS & CONDITIONS

*The creation of a website to posting it online, whenever we know the amount of work to be done upfront is quoted on your initial contract. Any extra request will be charged $65 an hour.

*All text, graphics or information needed must be delivered to us within 60 days of this contract. After 60 days the whole amount will be due (we certify of course that the work will be executed whenever we will receive the material).

*We ask for a deposit of 50% in advance (non refundable) - Each invoice is due UPON RECEIPT. Payments can be made by cash, check or credit card through Paypal. If payment through Paypal, for any amount over $100.00, a 4% processing fee will apply

*The Port Web Design has an intellectual property right on its designs. Of course you own your website but in case you choose to use another firm for the maintenance of your website, once we designed the site, that firm will not be allowed to sign our design. Only “maintenance by...” will be accepted, vs “design or development”. Only The Port Web Design is entitled to sign “ website design & development “

Electronic Commerce Laws - The Client agrees that the Client is solely responsible for complying with any laws, taxes, and tariffs applicable in any way to the Web Design Project or any other services contemplated herein, and will hold harmless, protect, and defend The Port Web Design and its subcontractors from any claim, suit, tax, fine, penalty, or tariff arising from the Client's exercise of Internet electronic commerce and/or any failure to comply with any such laws, taxes, and tariffs.

Performance Liability - The Port Web Design does not warrant that the functions supplied by Web pages, consultation, advice, or Internet Web site will meet the client's requirements or that the operation of Web pages will be uninterrupted or error-free. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the Web pages and Web site is with client. In no event will The Port Web Design be liable to the client or any third party for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings or other incidental, consequential or special damages arising out of the operation of or inability to operate these Web pages or Web site, even if The Port Web Design has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Changes to the design - Changes to the design after approval has been given and development has begun are not included in the initial agreement and are therefore billed at an hourly rate of $65/hour. The cost estimates agreed upon by The Port Web Design and Client are based on the requirements specified in the accepted proposal. Any change in the requirements or delays in communication will have a direct impact on the cost of the project.

Termination of Contract - In the event Client cancels or terminates this Agreement before Completion of the Services, The Port Web Design shall be paid by Client for all completed work and the payment of any authorized expenses. All payments to The Port Web Design are non-refundable.