Ok. You've made the decision. You want a website. Please don't assume that web developers are sitting around waiting for your email. They are not. You might have to get on a waiting list for a popular designer / developer, so it's time to prepare.

Preparation

• Check out your domain name if you haven't already. Domain names go quickly. If you see one you like, buy it right away and get it for as long as you can afford. 10 years is good. It shows you're serious about your business.
• Check to see if the domain you want is available here....
• Sit down and figure out your budget. If you have not shopped around you may be in for sticker shock. Come up with a realistic figure of what you can afford. This helps your designer.
• If you want a shopping cart - count the number of items you have for sale and make sure you have enough to make your sales interesting to the customer. Shopping cart technology is advancing rapidly as small businesses realise than an online presence is a necessity. Prices will only go up. Waiting lists will get longer.
• Take a look around at websites you like. Figure out why you like them and make notes. If you don't like them, make notes about this also. This helps your designer.
• Make sure you have the time to give to the creation of a website. It is nothing without your content and your input.
• Check references. Contact clients and ask if they are happy with their developer. If you sense any hesitancy, move on. I cannot begin to tell you the horror stories of people who have come to me from someone else.
• Contact a developer. Hopefully that's PaintWebs! Fill out the questionnaire with as much information as you can. We will contact you and talk about your time frame and budget.

Proposal and Contract

• PaintWebs will prepare a proposal based on the information conveyed in a follow up phone call or email.
• If you accept the proposal, a formal contract will be sent to you. Return this contract signed, with a deposit which includes your first quarterly hosting fee.
• The design work then begins based on your preferences and/or artwork. A design is submitted to you.
• Two round of changes are then worked on. More than two rounds will incur additional charges. A design acceptance is submitted at which point the balance of the design fee is due.
• Please leave the navigational details and layout to the developer who has more experience in this area. If you must do-it-yourself, you are wasting our time and your money. Please, find a way to do-it-yourself.

Account Creation - Installation

• A hosting account is created in your domain.
• Web pages are created from the approved design.
• Shopping cart is installed and details are sent to you.
• We guide you through the first couple of product uploads until you are comfortable. We will always be here if needed.
• Your job is to check everything. This doesn't change as your website ages. Your webmaster has many sites to upkeep and cannot monitor each and every site. EMail the changes needed to keep your website current and interesting. Think of your website as your storefront. It will be really boring if the front window display never changes. You must be constantly creating new items to put in your store.

Lastly, please work with your designer. Our years of experience tell us what works and what doesn't. It is your website and we want you to be happy. We've learned that the best sites are the result of a succesful collaboration between both parties.