Below is a list of questions we are often asked that may not be covered elsewhere on this site. They appear in no particular order. We hope you will find answers to all your website related questions here on The Author Shop, but if you don't, j
ust write and ask. We will answer as quickly as possible.
Q: What's with domain registration? Is it really that confusing or is it just me?
A: Many just getting started on the web are confused about the domain registration process and about the many layers of techno-babel that bombards them when they first start on the web, so if you are confused too, consider yourself in good company. The first several questions seek to clarify some basic information.
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Q: What is a Domain Registrar?
A: A domain registrar is empowered by INTERNIC, the international council that oversees the World Wide Web, to 'sell' and keep track of domain names, domain name owners and authorized administrators, and the machines (servers) on which the domains reside. This by itself would be pretty simple to grok. However, most registrars now sell other services as well, which is how things get a bit squirrely. They build websites that don't distinguish clearly between their function as domain registrar and the other many services they want to sell you.
Domain name registration is now distributed among several top-level companies who are also allowed to administer 'affiliate' programs. To my knowledge, only a small handful of companies have yet gotten their websites to top functionality. Prospective clients should check with me before purchasing a domain name if they haven't already. If you have your domain name already, be warned, we may need to dance a bit with your domain registrar to get things straightened out.
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Q: What happens when you register a domain name?
A: When you first register, your domain name usually is "parked" on the registrar's server unless or until you give them specific instructions or a different domain name server.
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Q: Do registrars charge extra for parking domain names?
A:We've never seen one who does. Usually, parking is advertised "free" or "included" in the registration fee. Clients who host their sites with us receive detailed instructions on how to handle this issue or can simply ask us to handle it for them. If you are registering a domain name for the first time, we usually handle this for free.
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Q: I am so confused about how to transfer my domain name. I've tried to figure it out at the domain name registrar's site, to no avail. Can you help?
A: We can make this easy for you: if you entrust us with the login and password you used to purchase your domain name, we will go into your registrar and handle the transfer myself. We often do this for clients, and it is not an imposition. Armed with your login and password, it should take only minutes. Then, as they say, we should be good to go.
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Q: If I decide to use the domain registrar's hosting package, can you still design my site?
A: Sorry, but not anymore. The software we work with requires a particular software setup and the kind of software-specific technical support offered by only a handful of web hosting companies.
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Q: I think you can tell that I don't have a very good handle on the specific nature of how all of this "web hosting stuff" works. Would there be any clear advantage to spending more and going with a big firm?
A: Where your website lives is just as important as how it looks. Over the years, we've learned by trial and error just how important an excellent web host can be. As a result, we don't cut corners on web hosting costs and we urge clients to adopt the same philosophy. In fact, we prefer to assist clients with choosing their hosting. If you have already purchased hosting that turns out to be inadequate in any way, we can often negotiate refunds for the unused portions of the hosting fees when you are ready to cancel the host.
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Q: Do you hand code your HTML pages?
A: We do write most of our code by hand these days, but we sometimes prefer using a state of the art HTML editor, usually to utilize some snappy widget or another. For several years, we were fans of Dreamweaver and Fireworks in their various incarnations. Dreamweaver is highly extensible, meaning that it can be easy to add cutting edge bells and whistles to make your site even more magical. Lately, however, we have moved to more dynamic and stable tools in the latest languages, preferring jQuery plugins over our former Dreamweaver extensions.
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Q: What are your terms?
A: We have learned that clients often find it convenient to make payments for my service in stages. As a result, we have developed some general guidelines for my business. We usually require a 50% deposit to reserve our time, develop the look and feel of the site, and refine the site template, 30% when we begin site production, and upon launch of the site, the final 20% plus whatever additional fees, if any, that you have agreed to.
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Q: Do you have a sliding fee scale for your design services?
A: We offer limited services at sliding scale or reduced fees, usually for nonprofit organizations only.
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Q: Is it possible to arrange installment plans to pay for part of your services?
A: We have found that installment agreements and deferred payment schedules are very difficult and time consuming to administer. We now agree to them only on the rarest occasions and do so very cautiously. If you have a special circumstance, we are happy to discuss it with you.
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Remember, if you have a question that is not answered above or elsewhere on our site, please feel free to ask.