Question 1

How much does your website design service cost?

Accepted Answer

Author websites start at $399 USD and includes a Home page, Bio, Book Page with Gallery, individual book pages with retailer links (up to 10 books), Contact page, Signed Book Order page, and a Blog. See Pricing for more details. 
 
Business Websites are all different so we are unable to list prices until we have talked about your requirements. Please fill out the Contact Form to send us any questions you have.

Question 2

What website builder do you use to create the website?

Accepted Answer

We use Wix to design all of our websites. Wix is a trusted leader in website development with users in over 190 countries and 160 million websites. They were voted the "BEST OVERALL WEBSITE BUILDER" in 2019 by CNET.com. 
 
You will need to purchase a Premium Package from Wix in order for your site to be free of ads and to use your own domain name. Here is a link to view and purchase one of their packages that suits your needs.  Wix does have a free package, however, it does not allow you to use your own domain. For both authors and businesses, this route is not recommended. To show your readers and customers you are to be taken seriously, you need your own domain name. 
 
Wix usually offers free domain hosting for a year with the purchase of a Premium Plan so this is a good deal to take advantage of.

Question 3

What is the difference between a domain and a builder and a designer?

Accepted Answer

I understand that all the different aspects of managing a website can be overwhelming. Think of your domain as a piece of land that you pay a yearly fee on to maintain. Then on top of your land, you'll need a house. That 'house' will be your website that you pay a yearly fee on to maintain. Then you'll need to decorate that house. This is where you choose to DIY or pay for a designer. This is where Evening Sky Design comes in to help you decorate your house/website. This is a one-time cost unless we arrange for future maintenance and changes to your site. Hope that helps clear things up a little!

Question 4

What is the process?

Accepted Answer

The first stage is information gathering. We'll start with you filling out a questionnaire in order to determine your requirements, goals, color preferences, main purpose, etc. Once we've talked a bit and understand what is required, then we'll prepare a quote for building your website. When you're ready to proceed, we'll send an invoice, via PayPal, for half the fee. 
 
Next stage is where the real magic happens. We'll be in contact throughout the entire design process to ensure you are up-to-date on your project and are happy with how things are progressing. This can be as frequent or as infrequent as you are comfortable with. 
 
Once the framework is in place, we will send you a link to view the site and to ask for feedback. If all is well with the mockup, the designer will continue with the rest of the content. 
 
After you've approved the final site, finishing touches like Google Analytics, SEO optimization, site redirects, etc. will be set up. 
 
Your website will go live when you are ready.

Question 5

What is included in the fee for building the website?

Accepted Answer

Our fee includes these aspects of designing your site:
- Setting up the Pages as listed in your requirements,
- Integrating your Social Media accounts, 
- Integrating your email marketing platform (including a Mailing List Opt-in button on your site),
- Adding any forms you need (whether you use an external form builder like Jot Form or Wix's own form builder),
- Adding a Blog so you can start building your community of followers. You will be able to  blog from your desktop or from your mobile if you download the Wix Mobile app, 
- Setting up automations where possible (e.g. a Thank You, or Welcome email to new subscribers),
- Including any graphics you need (using licensed stock photo images), 
- Adding Google Analytics if desired,
- Basic SEO optimization so your website will be found online, and
- Ensuring your website is fully responsive to mobile phones so that it looks great on any screen.
 
There are Add-Ons that we can provide for additional fees:
- Landing Page,
- Matching Social Media Graphics (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
- 3D rendering of 2D images,
- Additional Pages apart from the norm @ $50 each,
- Setting up a storefront (requires a Wix eCommerce Premium Plan)
- & more. Feel free to enquire.

Question 6

Do I need email marketing?

Accepted Answer

If you already use an email marketer like Mail Chimp or Mad Mimi, we can integrate it into the site. If you don't already have one, Wix has a great one built in that could meet your needs.
 
The question of whether you need email marketing is one that only you can answer. If building a community of followers is important to your business, then yes, you absolutely need one. If you don't have one, you could be missing out on sales and service opportunities.

Question 7

Do I need a blog too?

Accepted Answer

If you already have a blog, we can integrate it into your new Wix website. If you don't have one, Wix got your covered with their built in blog that can be maintained via desktop and the Wix Mobile app.
 
The question of whether you need one or not can really only be answered by you. I would ask how important is relationship management to your business? For instance for an author, a blog is crucial. Having the ability to talk to readers on your own site, away from social media, and respond quickly to their comments and questions, is worth its weight in gold. For others businesses who have a website that acts as an 'informational pamphlet' per se, it might not be as crucial. But the functionality is there and so are the benefits that come along with it.

Question 8

How long will it take to get it up and running?

Accepted Answer

The average turn around time for an Author Website is 3 weeks from start to finish. However, this might vary depending on the complexity of your requirements, number of revisions, and the readiness of your content.
 
For Business websites, the average is 4 weeks, however, it depends on your requirements. An estimate will be provided with the quote after we talk.

Question 9

What happens when I need changes/additions in the future?

Accepted Answer

Fees for ADD ONs like additional Pages, Landing Pages, Books, Promotional Pages, etc., and other maintenance, is detailed in the Author Website Pricing Page.

Question 10

Will I be able to maintain the website myself?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can if you wish to do so. Wix is very user-friendly and once the main structure is set up and designed, we can show you how to make any regular additions you need to make.
 
However, if the changes affect the main structure of the website, I would suggest contacting us to help you out. Fees for ADD ONs like additional Pages, Landing Pages, Books, Promotional Pages, etc., and other maintenance, is detailed in the Author Website Pricing Page.

Question 11

Can you update my current website with a Wix website?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! You will not need to purchase a new domain, unless you want to, but you will need to purchase one of Wix's Premium Plans for us to build it.

Question 12

What other services do you provide?

Accepted Answer

Evening Sky Design provides website and graphic design services. For the book publishing industry, we also provide Book Cover Design, Formatting and Layout for eBook and Print, and Editing services. To learn more, see Evening Sky Publishing Services.

Website Design

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