F.A.Q.

Price varies depending on each project, there is an initial consultation to discuss the details. Next step is for Belle Media to provide the client a price estimate to look over. If everything is agreeable, we go forward from there. There is a 50% deposit due for the start of the project, and the balance is due when the project is completed. If the project estimate is over $2000 a payment plan will be outlined in the estimate.

Website drafts will include up to 3 design variations within the concept and style as outlined in the estimate. Additional alterations to the design past those can be discussed and will cost extra. If a logo and/or branded printed materials are needed (such as business cards, brochures, stickers, etc), graphic services include up to 3 rounds of designs on the concept and style as outlined in the estimate. Once the project is finalized, high resolution files will be created for your future use.

Sometimes I am able to start right away and at other times it may take a month or more to get started. Often there are periods where I am unable to take new projects and I let the potential client know this is the case and offer referrals to reputable designers. After the first payment is submitted, I begin to design drafts of the site and/or logo. Beginning to create a new design is the most time-consuming part. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks to share samples. Once the design is set it goes by much more quickly. One thing that effects the time frame of the website is making sure that all the content for the site is submitted and correct.

Having your content organized and finalized before you submit it is very important. Typing and editing of text, scanning of images, and photo editing can be provided at an additional cost. Content can be shared via DropBox, sent via email, or by snail mail on memory stick. Text info: Text info should be submitted in digital format such as a Microsoft Word (.doc), Rich Text Format (.rtf), or plain text email. Photos: Sending a few photos by email is fine. However, if there is a collection, photographs and/or graphics should be submitted via ftp or sent on a memory stick in full sized high resolution (300 dpi) files, in any of the following formats: .jpg, .gif, .png, .psd, .pdf, .tiff, .eps, and labeled accordingly. Audio/Video: Songs and sounds are best in .mp3 format and video in .mpg or .mov format and can be submitted via email if the file size is under 5MB. When sending a large file via email, PLEASE confirm that I have received it.

This is one of the main things discussed in the initial consultation, and I ask many questions to get a clear picture of exactly what you want and would like to convey before I write up an estimate. Examples of graphics or ideas that you like helps with this process. Some of the sites I’ve done were created with very little direction in terms of design and others had more specific criteria to follow. The work in my portfolio gives an indication of the type of work that I do, which ranges from minimal to illustrative to photo collage.

If you’re not a computer genius, that’s okay… that’s what you’re hiring someone to do for you. Aside from submitting materials and using email to communicate and view the progression of the project, you may only need to scan images or take photographs with a digital camera. Technical help is available with such things as registering domain names and/or setting up a web hosting account. Just be sure to remember your passwords and save all important info!

Although it’s always great to meet clients in person, I often meet online with clients via ZOOM, and we take care of many tasks via phone or email. Site content can be submitted via ftp, email, or snail mail. For clients who are located internationally, a great tool to avoid long distance phone charges is Skype.

I always put ‘meta tags’ into the code of all the webpages so that search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing can read your website, therefore your website be listed when people search for you. I also provide search engine optimization services if you would like to add extra content for web robots to search. If people are searching by a narrower term, such as your name, you will come up quite high in the search engine listing. If they search for something more general, for example, ‘photographer’, you may come up on the 100th page. There are 2 types of information that I put into the codes of the page. At some point while we are working on the site, I will remind you that you need to submit your meta tags and keywords for me to program into the coding of the page to be read by search engines. Here is the info I will ask for: Description tag: This is one concise sentence describing your business. For example, if you are a photographer in Chicago, Illinois, you may want something such as: “John Doe – Music Producer, based in Chicago, Illinois” or something like that, however you want to word it so that it is relevant in a search. Keyword tags: This is a list of words separated by commas that you think people might put into the search engine if they were looking for something and it could pertain to your business, even include misspellings. For example: “john doe, john, doe, mr. john doe, john dough, jon doe, production, music, music producer, chicago, illinois, chicago producer, music production, etc…” As many relevant words as you can think of, there is not a limit. Just remember to keep a running list and to separate with commas.

Yes, I offer maintenance services for websites that I create, this is done the hourly rate. For clients who would like to update their own website I recommend a WordPress website, which is easy to edit directly online, with no extra software. Note: Belle Media provides WordPress tutoring, also at the hourly rate.

My portfolio does not include every design that I have created. Belle Media has been in business for over fifteen years now and it would take far too long for the portfolio section to load, so I have limited it to a number of projects that show a variety of skills in website development, graphic illustration, logo design, etc. I do switch them out from time to time to show different works depending on what styles or features I’m promoting.