FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Web Design frequently asked Questions

  • What kind of businesses do you work with?

    We work with a broad range of company types [small start-ups, large corporations, nonprofits, B2B, B2C and more] across many business industries [technology, food, apparel, health + beauty, camps, travel, finance, arts, fair trade, and more.]
    Over the years, we’ve helped businesses improve customer service, market their products, and attract customers. Functionality requests range from basic to advanced. Our team takes the time to get to know your industry, organization, and competitors to ensure your site supports all your goals.

  • How Long Does It Take to Create A Website?

    The length of time it takes to create a fully functional website is based on several factors. Custom design work can take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the design and the number of revisions you require, depending on the number of pages, and the functionality required. Of course, these are general guidelines, and we will make every effort to meet the time frame you have in mind.

  • How Much Do You Charge with Website Design?

    Our prices depend on many factors. To get a better idea of the cost of what you need, check our pricing page. We’ll ask a few questions about your project, what features and interactivity you’ll need, who will handle content development, whether you’d like to sell online. After this short discussion, we should be able to give you a ballpark number. If you’re still interested, we’ll be happy to develop a comprehensive proposal that outlines the scope, process and costs.
    A fully customized, unique website design starts at $299 (one page), and page development is $75 — $100 each. Pricing for other services and functionality are outlined separately on our pricing page to help you determine and control the amount of your investment. We also provide our clients with a detailed estimate before any work begins.

  • Are any other services included in your web design and development costs?

    Yes. Our web design and development service include configuration of your email accounts, detailed monthly traffic reports and basic search engine optimization services. Basic SEO includes submission of your site to the major search engines, and the setup of your primary meta tag information (Page Title, Description and Keywords). Additionally, your site will build from the ground up with search engine friendly technologies and methods.

  • When is payment required for your web site design and development services?

    For small projects, 60% of the estimated fee must be provided prior to beginning work, with the remaining payment due upon completion of the project. For larger projects, an initial payment representing one-third of the estimated total fee is required. The second payment is required upon the halfway point, with the final third due upon completion of the project.

  • How does the development process work?

    There are nine steps in our development process 1. Discovery— If the project is a rebuild, we review your current content and make further recommendations for improvements. If it’s a new site, we start by discussing the subjects and functionality you envisage for your site and develop an outline for you. 2. Content— You compile all the content for the website, including all text and images. 3. Preliminary Design— We create a home page concept including colors, fonts, image style and layout. 4. Organization— When we have received all content in its final version, we review it to determine the best way to organize the information. The structure of the site is based on this organizational scheme and must be approved by you. 5. Design Revision— After reviewing the initial design, you can request changes. 6. Implementation— Once we’ve received your approval on the design, we move on to implementation. This is where the approved design becomes concrete and where we add site-specific features. 7. Page Content— When we have all the content that will be included on the site and an approved design, we will enter all the data. 8. Testing— We run through a final set of tests to be sure that everything is functional. You have an opportunity currently to test the site as well. 9. Launch— Once we have your final approval, we launch the site. The marks the end of the project.

  • Are your sites mobile-friendly? Why is a mobile friendly, or responsive website important to have?

    Yes. Traditional websites do not scale down to fit the smaller screen size of a mobile device which makes text difficult to read, while buttons and links tend to be difficult to locate and use.
    A mobile friendly website avoids all these problems and delivers a pleasant experience to the mobile user. A stand-alone mobile website (mobi site) is separate from the main website and has its own URL – for example http://m.google.com. The latest trend however is toward responsive website design, which enables the website to resize according to the device being used.
    Whether you opt for a stand-alone mobile website or a mobile responsive website will depend entirely upon your needs as a business. We will help you to make the best decision for your business during our online marketing consultation with you (our consultations are free!).

  • Can I see my website while it's in progress?

    Absolutely! In fact, we encourage it. We build your website on our online development environment. Once your site is ready and you have provided your approval, we release it lives on your server and submit your URL to the major search engines.

  • Will I be able to make changes to the site after it is completed?

    Yes. We use WordPress to build our sites and this powerful content management system allows anyone with good computer skills to make changes to their own website. We always remain available to make changes for you, if you don’t have time or you need more complex changes.

  • I need some changes on my web site or template. Do you provide that service?

    Yes! For one-time changes, we will provide you with an estimate before beginning the work and charge at our standard hourly rate. If you anticipate regular needs for maintenance, one of our Ongoing Maintenance Plans may be more cost-effective for you.

  • To work on our existing website, what information do we need?

    • Your website addresses. • Your company’s exact name and address (if it is not on your website). • Your Web hosting company’s name and website address. • The access information (username and password) for the Web host (FTP) and for the database admin (typically panel). This information likely was sent to you by your Web hosting company when you signed up with them. I need this information, so I can download any existing multimedia files, and then later make changes to your website. • The access information for the account administration tool and any databases. • The details of your shopping cart (website address, username, and password), if applicable

  • Can you help me write content for my website?

    Yes. We include copy writing and editing in all our proposals. We also build your sitemap and help structure the foundation of your website in the planning stages.

  • Why is email the best way to discuss our project?

    For discussing the details of your project, email — or a collaborative project management tool, such as Basecamp — is much better, for many reasons: • The information is saved online, and serves as a valuable record of our discussion. • Email messages can be searched and referenced at any time in the future, so we do not have to rely upon our memories of phone conversations. • Any messages can be resent if necessary. • Both parties can take all the time and space they want, to be exact in describing questions and answers. When you express what you want in your own words in an email message, it reduces the potential for misunderstandings. • Project requests conveyed in a phone conversation can be (unintentionally) vague, which causes frustration and wastes valuable time. In contrast, email messages encourage us to be more specific. • Everyone has the information they need to do their tasks, which saves time and reduces the chances of miscommunication. • Files and website addresses can be easily sent via email. • Email allows us to send and receive messages whenever we want, day or night. It is not intrusive nor does it interrupt what we are doing, as does a phone call. We can receive and send information at our convenience, not dictated by a ringing telephone. • Because I spend my productive time at my computer, it is easier to read and respond to an email as soon as it is received. • I’m more productive with no phone, as it allows me to concentrate on work, since writing code requires uninterrupted focusing. • Contacting me via email is just as fast and reliable as would using a phone, because I’m at my computer for most of the day. • Any project instructions will need to be provided in writing anyway — either as a project specifications document or in an email message.

Ecommerce consulting frequently asked questions

  • What is involved in setting up an ecommerce website?

    First, of course, you’ll need a site design and the usual functional elements of a website, such as a contact form. For standard eCommerce functionality, you will need several additional components: an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate, a merchant account, a payment gateway, a back-end database for processing orders and storing customer information, and a shopping cart solution.

  • I'm only selling a few products. Can you set me up with PayPal?

    Yes. If you only have a handful of products, you can use PayPal for payment processing. However, you should understand that your customers will be directed to PayPal’s site while placing their order. Also, as your sales grow, it will become more economical to switch to a standard merchant plan.

  • How will potential shoppers find my online store?

    Everyday millions of people are searching on the Internet for the things you are selling. We can help get your product listings into the top results of search engines like Google® and Yahoo®. Using Search Engine Optimization, our experts will make changes to your website and create links from other quality websites to make it more attractive to search engines.

  • What is a merchant account?

    A merchant account is a special agreement with a bank that allows you to accept credit card payments. If you want to sell online, you will need to provide your shoppers with payment options that will make them feel comfortable about their transactions. Credit card transactions are the most popular method of online payment and the best way to process.

  • How many products can I include in my catalog?

    You can include as many products as necessary. There is no physical limit to your catalog. Some of our sites contain more than ten thousand products. Blimx plans charge dependent on how many products you include in your catalog.
    To offer you the fairest price, it’s normal that very large sites pay a little more than smaller sites.

  • Can I have a domain name for my online shop?

    Yes, you can use any valid domain name for your store. You can point an existing registered domain name at your store or register a new domain name.

  • Can I limit it the accepted payment amount by credit card if I prefer checks?

    Of course, you can limit each payment type (credit card, checks, etc.) by country and by amount. To put it more clearly, you can say that above a certain order amount, you want to wait until you cash the customer checks before shipping their order or that you don’t want to accept credit cards from certain countries.

  • Can I limit it my sales to certain countries?

    Yes, the shipping calculator allows you to organize your sales and shipping fees by country and to exclude certain countries.

  • Can customers track their orders directly online without having to send an email or call me?

    The Blimx system includes a completely configurable order management and tracking module. The order confirmation email can contain a link to a restricted page of your site where each customer can track their orders.

  • Do you have a mass emailing/newsletter module?

    Yes. The back-end tools include an email/newsletter module, so you can keep in touch with your customers and reach out to new ones.

  • What customer notifications are automatically generated by your system?

    Order placed, order shipped.

  • What type of training do you provide?

    Blimx provides standard training with every Blimx Commerce implementation to give you the tools and information that you’ll need to maintain a successful store and utilize all the Blimx Commerce features that will serve your unique business. Additionally, customized training programs are available in various disciplines such as; Search Engine Marketing, catalog development, building a successful eCommerce business and training for any integrated solutions or custom applications that we may build for you.

  • Do you offer search engine optimization services?

    Yes. Blimx experienced Internet Marketing department offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to improve your chances of being found by search engines and acquiring high rankings in multiple, well-defined searches. We accomplish this through search engine positioning and search engine optimization, and we will perform the extensive research needed to design and develop a comprehensive marketing plan that best meets the needs of your unique business and goals.

  • Why is email the best way to discuss our project?

    For discussing the details of your project, email — or a collaborative project management tool— is much better, for many reasons:
    • The information is saved online and serves as a valuable record of our discussion.
    • Email messages can be searched and referenced at any time in the future, so we do not have to rely upon our memories of phone conversations.
    • Any messages can be resent if necessary.
    • Both parties can take all the time and space they want, to be exact in describing questions and answers. When you express what you want in your own words in an email message, it reduces the potential for misunderstandings.
    • Project requests conveyed in a phone conversation can be (unintentionally) vague, which causes frustration and wastes valuable time. In contrast, email messages encourage us to be more specific.
    • Everyone has the information they need to do their tasks, which saves time and reduces the chances of miscommunication. • Files and website addresses can be easily sent via email.
    • Email allows us to send and receive messages whenever we want, day or night. It is not intrusive, nor does it interrupt what we are doing, as does a phone call. We can receive and send information at our convenience, not dictated by a ringing telephone.
    • Because I spend my productive time at my computer, it is easier to read and respond to an email as soon as it is received.
    • I’m more productive with no phone, as it allows me to concentrate on work, since writing code requires uninterrupted focusing.
    • Contacting me via email is just as fast and reliable as would use a phone, because I’m at my computer for most of the day.
    • Any project instructions will need to be provided in writing anyway — either as a project specifications document or in an email message.

Search Engine Optimization frequently asked questions

  • How important is it to optimize my website for search engines?

    If you want to use your website to grow your business, then it is advisable to ensure your site is properly optimized. More than 80% of all Internet users use search to find what they need online.
    Why hide from potential customers? There are many components to SEO, and you can choose to implement everything at once, or implement the techniques progressively. Of course, the sooner the changes are made, the sooner you will see the results.

  • Will i have to redo my entire website to make it search engine optimized?

    Everyday millions of people are searching on the Internet for the things you are selling. We can help get your product listings into the top results of search engines like Google® and Yahoo®. Using Search Engine Optimization, our experts will make changes to your website and create links from other quality websites to make it more attractive to search engines.

  • When will i start seeing results of SEO?

    The time frame varies from a few days to many weeks, depending on when your site is re-indexed.

  • What is pagerank?

    PageRank is a term used by Google that reflects their system for ranking pages based on their importance and relevance to certain keywords. If PageRank likes your page and finds it useful according to its parameters, you will receive a high ranking on the search result page.

  • How can our business's website show up higher in Google rankings?

    If your site has been live for more than a few months but is not ranking as well as you’d like in the search engines, it might be time to consider SEO or SEM. Contact us, and we can share different ways in which you can increase your Search Engine rankings and attract more visitors to your site.

  • What is black hat SEO?

    Many website use “black hat” techniques to trick the search engines for better results. These techniques include page cloaking, link farms, duplicate content, keyword spamming and many others. These methods may work temporarily, but search engines are getting more sophisticated. Eventually, your site will be penalized or banned altogether.

  • Are keywords in domain names important?

    Yes, keywords in a domain name are taken into consideration by the search engines. We don’t know exactly how much of a factor this is in determining search rank, but we know that keywords in a domain name are not weighed nearly as heavily as the keywords in your title tags and page content.

  • Does the length of a domain name have any effect on SEO?

    No, it doesn’t.

  • Is it wise to use hyphens in domain names?

    Hyphens may help search engines more easily parse long domain names for keywords, but it’s better to just shorten your potential domain name before opting for hyphens. The difference that hyphens make in the search engines is minimal at best. Most engines will still parse the keywords in the domain name regardless of the presence of hyphens.

  • Why is email the best way to discuss our project?

    For discussing the details of your project, email — or a collaborative project management tool— is much better, for many reasons:
    • The information is saved online and serves as a valuable record of our discussion.
    • Email messages can be searched and referenced at any time in the future, so we do not have to rely upon our memories of phone conversations.
    • Any messages can be resent if necessary.
    • Both parties can take all the time and space they want, to be exact in describing questions and answers. When you express what you want in your own words in an email message, it reduces the potential for misunderstandings.
    • Project requests conveyed in a phone conversation can be (unintentionally) vague, which causes frustration and wastes valuable time. In contrast, email messages encourage us to be more specific.
    • Everyone has the information they need to do their tasks, which saves time and reduces the chances of miscommunication. • Files and website addresses can be easily sent via email.
    • Email allows us to send and receive messages whenever we want, day or night. It is not intrusive, nor does it interrupt what we are doing, as does a phone call. We can receive and send information at our convenience, not dictated by a ringing telephone.
    • Because I spend my productive time at my computer, it is easier to read and respond to an email as soon as it is received.
    • I’m more productive with no phone, as it allows me to concentrate on work, since writing code requires uninterrupted focusing.
    • Contacting me via email is just as fast and reliable as would use a phone, because I’m at my computer for most of the day.
    • Any project instructions will need to be provided in writing anyway — either as a project specifications document or in an email message.

Website maintenance frequently asked questions

  • What is a Website Maintenance?

    Our Website Maintenance services range from updates, performance, security, fixes, marketing and migration — just about everything.

  • Why does my website need regular site maintenance?

    It is important to keep your site content data, files, videos and images with fresh content and up to date with plug-in. This helps to keep your site visitors informed and engaged about your dedication about today’s technologies.

  • How long does it take to complete website maintenance changes on my website?

    It depends on the amount of changes requests we have received. With receiving the change requests, we will confirm the turnaround time. Usually it depends on the plan you choose.

  • How frequent can I communicate with your team?

    Frequent communication — Our support team is accessible via Email.

  • What all is covered with your website maintenance plans?

    • Fast turnaround time

    • Technical expertise on all the technologies

    • No long-term contracts

    • Weekly reporting

    • Monthly backup

    • Plug-in and core updates

    • Our website maintenance services that at affordable prices, we will always serve to your specific needs and offer 100% satisfaction.

  • Can I Have multiple sites with a single plan?

    No, a single site maintenance will be included in single plan.

  • How can I start with website maintenance services?

    Tell us what you need updated, and we will take care it for you. A project manager will keep you up to date, it’s really that easy. Once completed, we will let you know so that you can review the changes and be sure everything is done to your satisfaction. That’s all there is to it! We take care of everything, so you can focus on what matters most.

  • Why you should go with our web maintenance services:

    o Fast turnaround time

    o Technical expertise on all the technologies

    o No long-term contracts

    o Weekly reporting

    o Monthly backup

    o Plug-in and core updates

    o Our website maintenance services that at affordable prices, we will always serve to your specific needs and offer 100% satisfaction.

  • Why is email the best way to discuss our project?

    For discussing the details of your project, email — or a collaborative project management tool— is much better, for many reasons:
    • The information is saved online and serves as a valuable record of our discussion.
    • Email messages can be searched and referenced at any time in the future, so we do not have to rely upon our memories of phone conversations.
    • Any messages can be resent if necessary.
    • Both parties can take all the time and space they want, to be exact in describing questions and answers. When you express what you want in your own words in an email message, it reduces the potential for misunderstandings.
    • Project requests conveyed in a phone conversation can be (unintentionally) vague, which causes frustration and wastes valuable time. In contrast, email messages encourage us to be more specific.
    • Everyone has the information they need to do their tasks, which saves time and reduces the chances of miscommunication. • Files and website addresses can be easily sent via email.
    • Email allows us to send and receive messages whenever we want, day or night. It is not intrusive, nor does it interrupt what we are doing, as does a phone call. We can receive and send information at our convenience, not dictated by a ringing telephone.
    • Because I spend my productive time at my computer, it is easier to read and respond to an email as soon as it is received.
    • I’m more productive with no phone, as it allows me to concentrate on work, since writing code requires uninterrupted focusing.
    • Contacting me via email is just as fast and reliable as would use a phone, because I’m at my computer for most of the day.
    • Any project instructions will need to be provided in writing anyway — either as a project specifications document or in an email message.

Social Media Marketing frequently asked questions

  • Why should I use social media?

    Let’s face it: the world’s gone social. In fact, 30% of all time (and counting) spent online is allocated to social media. If you want to get in front of people, social media is the way to do it. Whether you’re interested in brand awareness, sponsored content, or a combination of both, we can help!

  • Will this work for my type of business?

    If your customers use the internet, we tend to think so! No matter the business, our expertise lies in our ability to understand your business, find and grow you a targeted following, and drive leads and sales for your business.

  • Can you increase leads for my business?

    We sure can. Our expertise in social media allows us to not only find your target audience but drive them to your website or store front on a consistent basis.

  • How do I get started?

    Give us an email to get started. From there, you will be introduced to one of our marketing specialists who will identify your needs and develop a unique strategy for your business to reach your goals.

  • How soon can I get started?

    You can start to improve your social media presence 7-15 days from the time you get in contact with us.

  • Can your setup my social media accounts for me?

    Not a problem! As soon as your campaign starts, we will create, design and optimize all your accounts for massive awareness and lead generation.

  • Do you send reports?

    Including reports, we make it easy for you to keep track of your new results. Upon the start of your campaign, you will be given access to our online dashboard that tracks ALL social media data in real-time and can be accessed 24/7. Tracking the increase in impressions, leads, followers, mentions, website traffic and more will be easier than ever before.

  • Why is email the best way to discuss our project?

    For discussing the details of your project, email — or a collaborative project management tool— is much better, for many reasons:
    • The information is saved online and serves as a valuable record of our discussion.
    • Email messages can be searched and referenced at any time in the future, so we do not have to rely upon our memories of phone conversations.
    • Any messages can be resent if necessary.
    • Both parties can take all the time and space they want, to be exact in describing questions and answers. When you express what you want in your own words in an email message, it reduces the potential for misunderstandings.
    • Project requests conveyed in a phone conversation can be (unintentionally) vague, which causes frustration and wastes valuable time. In contrast, email messages encourage us to be more specific.
    • Everyone has the information they need to do their tasks, which saves time and reduces the chances of miscommunication. • Files and website addresses can be easily sent via email.
    • Email allows us to send and receive messages whenever we want, day or night. It is not intrusive, nor does it interrupt what we are doing, as does a phone call. We can receive and send information at our convenience, not dictated by a ringing telephone.
    • Because I spend my productive time at my computer, it is easier to read and respond to an email as soon as it is received.
    • I’m more productive with no phone, as it allows me to concentrate on work, since writing code requires uninterrupted focusing.
    • Contacting me via email is just as fast and reliable as would use a phone, because I’m at my computer for most of the day.
    • Any project instructions will need to be provided in writing anyway — either as a project specifications document or in an email message.

Web development frequently asked questions

  • Do you offer mobile device compatible website?

    Of course, we do! It’s called as Responsive Web Designing. Our experts have hands on latest technology based on HTML5 and CSS3. We develop eye-catching and graphically convincing web designs that fit even on mobile devices. Nevertheless, you may have to specify this in your objectives before the project begins.

  • What is your architecture to design or develop the websites? Do you have different frameworks?

    We use standard architecture –Mobile View Controller (MVC), a type of UI separating the representation of information from the user interaction. We do have different frameworks and use as per the project type and demand.

  • What is static/dynamic website? Which one suite me?

    A static website is coded entirely with HTML where every webpage is a separate document without any database or external file to depend. Said this, the only way to edit such page is editing each page separately. A dynamic website has complex code like php or ASP with greater degree of functionality such as integrated with content management system. This has database and another source support. In this, you can update web pages without having knowledge of HTML or software. It solely depends upon your project type and the purpose. While fixed websites (that don’t require much data to be drawn from external sources) are better developed in static, others are good in dynamic.

  • How you test the project?

    We have special department (QA & QC) to test projects. We follow series of below mentioned robust testing for the projects we develop…

    1. GUI testing
    2. Cross browser testing
    3. Black box testing
    4. Navigation testing
    5. Network testing
    6. System testing
    7. Unit and integration testing
    8. Functional testing
    9. Testing on various devices and platforms. Before the project is ready for above mentioned testing, we parse the code using special software and manually. Our special programmers leave no stone unturned in screening the codes before executing them for the final version.
  • Do you re-use code?

    It is a tricky question to be honest. We do not re-use your proprietary algorithms, license keys, trade secrets, trademarks, patented processes anywhere else. However, considering the authoring process of producing the code, we do use lot of open source libraries and our own libraries to save development time and avoid re-inventing the wheel all over again. This ensures you do not have to pay for something that can be produced quicker and with more quality.

  • What language do you use to program your sites?

    We generally build our websites in PHP with MySQL databases. PHP (Hypertext Pre-Processor) is a server-side web programming language that is widely used for web development.  PHP is the most popular web scripting language and has its roots in C and C++. MySQL is an open source database format that can be interfaced with PHP. Therefore, PHP and MySQL are excellent choice for webmasters looking to automate their web sites. PHP can run on both UNIX and Windows servers. PHP also has powerful output buffering that further increases over the output flow. PHP internally rearranges the buffer so that headers come before contents. PHP is dynamic. PHP can add dynamic elements into an HTML coded page.  PHP can be used with many relational database management systems, runs on all the most popular web servers and is available for many different operating systems. PHP5 a fully object-oriented language and its platform independence and speed on Linux server often makes it the best choice to build large and complex web applications. In general PHP is open-source, secure, fast and reliable for developing web applications.

  • Where will our site be built?

    We can build your site on the server of your choice.  The only requirement is the selected server must have PHP 5+ and MySQL installed.  The inexpensive Linux-based hosting plans provided by most large hosting providers all have PHP and MySQL installed by default. We can help you make the right choices in setting up your hosting plan. We can also walk you through the hosting setup process.

  • What browsers will our site work in?

    We try to build our sites to be compatible with all popular browsers and operating systems. We check our sites on both PCs and Macs, and all the major browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera. We try to make our sites as compatible with various browsers as possible. We will help troubleshoot any issues that might arise due to a configuration.

    We are familiar with the latest advances in web technologies and how they may appear on different platforms.

  • Why is email the best way to discuss our project?

    For discussing the details of your project, email — or a collaborative project management tool— is much better, for many reasons:
    • The information is saved online and serves as a valuable record of our discussion.
    • Email messages can be searched and referenced at any time in the future, so we do not have to rely upon our memories of phone conversations.
    • Any messages can be resent if necessary.
    • Both parties can take all the time and space they want, to be exact in describing questions and answers. When you express what you want in your own words in an email message, it reduces the potential for misunderstandings.
    • Project requests conveyed in a phone conversation can be (unintentionally) vague, which causes frustration and wastes valuable time. In contrast, email messages encourage us to be more specific.
    • Everyone has the information they need to do their tasks, which saves time and reduces the chances of miscommunication. • Files and website addresses can be easily sent via email.
    • Email allows us to send and receive messages whenever we want, day or night. It is not intrusive, nor does it interrupt what we are doing, as does a phone call. We can receive and send information at our convenience, not dictated by a ringing telephone.
    • Because I spend my productive time at my computer, it is easier to read and respond to an email as soon as it is received.
    • I’m more productive with no phone, as it allows me to concentrate on work, since writing code requires uninterrupted focusing.
    • Contacting me via email is just as fast and reliable as would use a phone, because I’m at my computer for most of the day.
    • Any project instructions will need to be provided in writing anyway — either as a project specifications document or in an email message.