'Paper Plane' sites for Commercial Entities
By phone or email I will go through all the details for you getting your site through me. Nothing will be done and no costs incurred without your expressed approval throughout.
REMEMBER - ALL funds you pay go to help support worthwhile non-profit sites. Help the groups doing good deeds.
COSTS (typical)
Domain Name: like "www.organization .com" varies depending on the extension - .com or .net or .ca, etc. - but think in terms of a maximum of $8.95USD or about $13.00CAN.
Web Space - where the site is posted. Sometimes a member of your organization has space available as part of their email address. This space may be suitable IF the site is to be relatively simple. Otherwise commercial space must be purchased.
Currently very good space with all the bells and whistles is available for about $60USD or about $85CAN.
Maximum total cost is therefore less than $100CAN for most sites. Only something special like a shopping cart with credit card processing can incur extra costs.
My Design and Web Services
After an initial contact I will be doing some samples to give you an idea of the site that might be. If, then, we reach a general agreement that I will be proceeding then I will give you a firm price for the entire site. This will be based on what you describe as your needs and upon the sample. If, later, you introduce new requirements then there may be extra costs but we will agree these first.
I will advise the amount of a deposit that will be required. This will not be large but gives me confidence.
As a rough idea - for the Highgrove Poodles site I charged a fee of $375. This includes:
Start to finish including posting to go live and submissions to some search engines.
60 days of corrections and changes after going live at no charge
and a CD of the site as your emergency backup (I get hit by bus!).
Maintenance
After the 60 days - a couple of options. I can do changes and corrections for a monthly rate of $25 payable 4 months($100) at a time. If you have a lot of changes all the time this makes sense but you will have to see.
OR start out at a just 'on call' deal of $25 a change session. I will do a lot of changes in one session for that if you save up - most anything but a major site revision. Practically, I usually forget about charging for minor fixes.
Domain Name: like "www.organization .com" varies depending on the extension - .com or .net or .ca, etc. - but think in terms of a maximum of $8.95USD or about $13.00CAN.
Web Space - where the site is posted. Sometimes a member of your organization has space available as part of their email address. This space may be suitable IF the site is to be relatively simple. Otherwise commercial space must be purchased.
Currently very good space with all the bells and whistles is available for about $60USD or about $85CAN.
Maximum total cost is therefore less than $100CAN for most sites. Only something special like a shopping cart with credit card processing can incur extra costs.
My Design and Web Services
After an initial contact I will be doing some samples to give you an idea of the site that might be. If, then, we reach a general agreement that I will be proceeding then I will give you a firm price for the entire site. This will be based on what you describe as your needs and upon the sample. If, later, you introduce new requirements then there may be extra costs but we will agree these first.
I will advise the amount of a deposit that will be required. This will not be large but gives me confidence.
As a rough idea - for the Highgrove Poodles site I charged a fee of $375. This includes:
Start to finish including posting to go live and submissions to some search engines.
60 days of corrections and changes after going live at no charge
and a CD of the site as your emergency backup (I get hit by bus!).
Maintenance
After the 60 days - a couple of options. I can do changes and corrections for a monthly rate of $25 payable 4 months($100) at a time. If you have a lot of changes all the time this makes sense but you will have to see.
OR start out at a just 'on call' deal of $25 a change session. I will do a lot of changes in one session for that if you save up - most anything but a major site revision. Practically, I usually forget about charging for minor fixes.
Things YOU should think about FIRST
Your site:
- What do you want it for? To just have a business card on the web - to post news - to announce things - to act as an archive for old news and results - to take messages from others. You have to come to terms with why you want a site.
- Who do you wish to reach? The unwashed public - a special group - your own membership.
- An Active or Static site - Once it is up then will you want to post pictures - latest news of members or in other words have a site that is current as opposed to one that is mostly static and changing only rarely. Obviously if current someone has to feed the information to me.
Does someone else have a site you like and would like to have similar in features if not look. Give me the URL (web address).
Fear not, you cannot make any wrong answers except maybe "you don't want a site at all" in which case this is all sort of academic.<grin>
Your site:
- What do you want it for? To just have a business card on the web - to post news - to announce things - to act as an archive for old news and results - to take messages from others. You have to come to terms with why you want a site.
- Who do you wish to reach? The unwashed public - a special group - your own membership.
- An Active or Static site - Once it is up then will you want to post pictures - latest news of members or in other words have a site that is current as opposed to one that is mostly static and changing only rarely. Obviously if current someone has to feed the information to me.
Does someone else have a site you like and would like to have similar in features if not look. Give me the URL (web address).
Fear not, you cannot make any wrong answers except maybe "you don't want a site at all" in which case this is all sort of academic.<grin>
The Process - It is inter-active requiring input from you.
Design
1. You describe your organization and, if it is not obvious, explain why you should get a free non-profit site. We settle on the costs, if any, depending on your group.
2. You give me a clue as to what kind of site you are looking for - see Thoughts above - and then I will rough out a plan and a few sample ideas of what your site might look like. I have 'secret' web space where the samples and all our work together can be posted for you to view in complete confidentiality. These will be very rough samples but you can then guide me to the style you like. The design will be set so that I do not have to do basics over again.
3. You will be expected to:
Send me text copy for the site as I cannot write all the detail about your group that I do not know. As the site develops you will see where text is required and I will guide you.
Send me any pictures or special graphics or Excel data basis you might want on the site. I will guide you on what I think might be most suitable.
Regularly review the work, on a timely basis, as it progresses and get back to me with your comments quite promptly. If you are going away or some such you must advise me so I can pause in the work pending your return.
Check my work for spelling and grammar problems.
At some point we will reach a moment when the site should be posted. It may still have bits to finish but in my experience sometimes it is better to get the site up for your members to contribute to in the last period.
Maintenance and Ongoing
If your site is an active one then you must send the material in a timely manner. My usual habit is to work on websites in the morning only so anything urgent should be sent the night before. Even then - I am a volunteer - I might take a day off so try to send me stuff well ahead.
Paying Costs
If there are costs you are paying then you must do so in a timely manner. I will guide you to the web sites where the item may be purchased and you will buy it with your own credit card. This is better all around as you should own your name, for example, and not me. You will be expected to respond to annual renewal notices to maintain the item.
You will copy me in on all emails you receive from any vendor and advise me of the account number (Not credit card) and password you used to buy the item. It is all simpler to do then to describe.
Design
1. You describe your organization and, if it is not obvious, explain why you should get a free non-profit site. We settle on the costs, if any, depending on your group.
2. You give me a clue as to what kind of site you are looking for - see Thoughts above - and then I will rough out a plan and a few sample ideas of what your site might look like. I have 'secret' web space where the samples and all our work together can be posted for you to view in complete confidentiality. These will be very rough samples but you can then guide me to the style you like. The design will be set so that I do not have to do basics over again.
3. You will be expected to:
Send me text copy for the site as I cannot write all the detail about your group that I do not know. As the site develops you will see where text is required and I will guide you.
Send me any pictures or special graphics or Excel data basis you might want on the site. I will guide you on what I think might be most suitable.
Regularly review the work, on a timely basis, as it progresses and get back to me with your comments quite promptly. If you are going away or some such you must advise me so I can pause in the work pending your return.
Check my work for spelling and grammar problems.
At some point we will reach a moment when the site should be posted. It may still have bits to finish but in my experience sometimes it is better to get the site up for your members to contribute to in the last period.
Maintenance and Ongoing
If your site is an active one then you must send the material in a timely manner. My usual habit is to work on websites in the morning only so anything urgent should be sent the night before. Even then - I am a volunteer - I might take a day off so try to send me stuff well ahead.
Paying Costs
If there are costs you are paying then you must do so in a timely manner. I will guide you to the web sites where the item may be purchased and you will buy it with your own credit card. This is better all around as you should own your name, for example, and not me. You will be expected to respond to annual renewal notices to maintain the item.
You will copy me in on all emails you receive from any vendor and advise me of the account number (Not credit card) and password you used to buy the item. It is all simpler to do then to describe.
GUIDELINES FOR HOW TO SEND IN MATERIAL
There are ways that work for your volunteer webmaster and some that do not. Try to consider these guidelines when submitting material.
Completion - When a project you have submitted is done you will receive an email back from me. It may just be one word, like "done." It is then your responsibility to look at the posting and advise the webmaster ofany errors or if you want any further changes.
Specify Time Limits - Tell me if the item has a limited time life and exactly what that is - from date 1 to date 2. You can always email a change if necessary.
Lead Time - the usual pattern is for me to work mornings and clear up most items then. If you submit late in the morning then your request probably will not be actioned until the next day. Give as much lead time as possible as some days your webmaster does no web work - gone fishin'! A major project may take several days.
Revisions - it is important that you keep your items up to date. Submit up-dates often as this is what will keep the site of interest to viewing members. Yes, daily results of a tournament or such can be posted but it is recommended you give the webmaster a bit of warning so he can be sure to set aside time for your posting each day or evening.
Text Format - The preferred format is MSWord but most any word processing format can be accepted - WordPerfect, MSWorks, etc. are fine.
1.Keep your formatting simple - bold and underlines and similar are fine but do not use elaborate spacing changes and formatting in the material. IF you have a fancy formatted way you want the material to appear then submit two versions: one simply formatted and the other as a specimen of what you want it to look like.
2.DO NOT imbed graphics in the document (except for a specimen one). Send them separate - see the pictures and graphics section. It can be impossible sometimes to get the graphic out and useable on the web.
3.DO NOT send text as a graphic - picture of scanned material - if you want it in the page as text. This would mean your webmaster would have to re-type it all and best you should do that.
4.Best not to just use the email format to send text (unless you a have no option) as it often introduces strange characters when copied for the web. If you have no easy word processing programs just put the text in a NOTEPAD file and attach it.
5. Your volunteer webmaster is a poor speller and does not usually run a spell checker on your work, so check your spelling and grammar first.
(Continued above - click)
There are ways that work for your volunteer webmaster and some that do not. Try to consider these guidelines when submitting material.
Completion - When a project you have submitted is done you will receive an email back from me. It may just be one word, like "done." It is then your responsibility to look at the posting and advise the webmaster ofany errors or if you want any further changes.
Specify Time Limits - Tell me if the item has a limited time life and exactly what that is - from date 1 to date 2. You can always email a change if necessary.
Lead Time - the usual pattern is for me to work mornings and clear up most items then. If you submit late in the morning then your request probably will not be actioned until the next day. Give as much lead time as possible as some days your webmaster does no web work - gone fishin'! A major project may take several days.
Revisions - it is important that you keep your items up to date. Submit up-dates often as this is what will keep the site of interest to viewing members. Yes, daily results of a tournament or such can be posted but it is recommended you give the webmaster a bit of warning so he can be sure to set aside time for your posting each day or evening.
Text Format - The preferred format is MSWord but most any word processing format can be accepted - WordPerfect, MSWorks, etc. are fine.
1.Keep your formatting simple - bold and underlines and similar are fine but do not use elaborate spacing changes and formatting in the material. IF you have a fancy formatted way you want the material to appear then submit two versions: one simply formatted and the other as a specimen of what you want it to look like.
2.DO NOT imbed graphics in the document (except for a specimen one). Send them separate - see the pictures and graphics section. It can be impossible sometimes to get the graphic out and useable on the web.
3.DO NOT send text as a graphic - picture of scanned material - if you want it in the page as text. This would mean your webmaster would have to re-type it all and best you should do that.
4.Best not to just use the email format to send text (unless you a have no option) as it often introduces strange characters when copied for the web. If you have no easy word processing programs just put the text in a NOTEPAD file and attach it.
5. Your volunteer webmaster is a poor speller and does not usually run a spell checker on your work, so check your spelling and grammar first.
(Continued above - click)
(Continued)
Pictures and Graphics - Always send as attachments not imbedded in a document.
1.If you are sending several pictures attach as many as you can to one email. You may be on a slow connection, like a telephone one, and may have to send pictures one at a time but try not to.
2.Send pictures in the best quality your connection will allow. Any sizing and compression is best done by your webmaster.
3.Your webmaster will often crop a picture himself to make it look better or to fit the page better. If you have specific cropping ideas let him know.
4.Most any picture format is acceptable but the most common are .jpg and .bmp. Some formats created by proprietary software are not okay since the format requires that specific program for your webmaster to use. You can try it once and he will advise.
5.If you are sending a collection of pictures for an album then be sure and advise how many there are and when you have sent them all. Albums can be added to from time to time but not on a one picture daily basis, please. Clearly identify the title for each picture and the description if you want these. If you have a set order you want the pictures in be sure and clearly set it out.
6. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES through a digital camera or access to a good scanner it is still no problem submitting pictures for the site.
a) Mail them to Bob D'Arcy at 5866 Deerhorn Drive, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A4 with your return address and they will be sent back soonest.
c) A note: Photo shops will now return your developed photos to you along with all the photos on a CD-ROM in good digital format. There is a modest extra charge but it is something to consider if you have a roll from a special event for a web album on the site.
Special Items
1.PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader) files - are no problem to post as is. If you want them posted as text then the original source cannot be a graphic.
2.Sound Files - got music you want on your pages? Can be done in several formats. Best to send in MP3 or .wav format to start.
3.Movie files - we can post small .mpg files for a short film experience. Long films take up too much web space.
4.Picture Albums - see Pictures and Graphics above but these can go on any pages. Look at one of the examples already on the site to see how they are set up and send along the titles and descriptions (if wanted) with the pictures)
Pictures and Graphics - Always send as attachments not imbedded in a document.
1.If you are sending several pictures attach as many as you can to one email. You may be on a slow connection, like a telephone one, and may have to send pictures one at a time but try not to.
2.Send pictures in the best quality your connection will allow. Any sizing and compression is best done by your webmaster.
3.Your webmaster will often crop a picture himself to make it look better or to fit the page better. If you have specific cropping ideas let him know.
4.Most any picture format is acceptable but the most common are .jpg and .bmp. Some formats created by proprietary software are not okay since the format requires that specific program for your webmaster to use. You can try it once and he will advise.
5.If you are sending a collection of pictures for an album then be sure and advise how many there are and when you have sent them all. Albums can be added to from time to time but not on a one picture daily basis, please. Clearly identify the title for each picture and the description if you want these. If you have a set order you want the pictures in be sure and clearly set it out.
6. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES through a digital camera or access to a good scanner it is still no problem submitting pictures for the site.
a) Mail them to Bob D'Arcy at 5866 Deerhorn Drive, Sechelt, BC, V0N 3A4 with your return address and they will be sent back soonest.
c) A note: Photo shops will now return your developed photos to you along with all the photos on a CD-ROM in good digital format. There is a modest extra charge but it is something to consider if you have a roll from a special event for a web album on the site.
Special Items
1.PDF (Adobe Acrobat Reader) files - are no problem to post as is. If you want them posted as text then the original source cannot be a graphic.
2.Sound Files - got music you want on your pages? Can be done in several formats. Best to send in MP3 or .wav format to start.
3.Movie files - we can post small .mpg files for a short film experience. Long films take up too much web space.
4.Picture Albums - see Pictures and Graphics above but these can go on any pages. Look at one of the examples already on the site to see how they are set up and send along the titles and descriptions (if wanted) with the pictures)
INTERESTED?
Please fill in the inquiry Form and submit it.
Your privacy is assured.
CLICK HERE
Please fill in the inquiry Form and submit it.
Your privacy is assured.
CLICK HERE