Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked, always important

General Questions

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  • What is a blog? Why do I need one?
  • Blogs, in their most basic and prehistoric forms, are thought to have existed as early as 1994. Here’s a bit more about this ancient system (via Wikipedia):
    • A blog (a blend of the term web log) is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other materials such as graphics and videos. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
    • Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs. It is this interactivity that distinguishes blogs from other static websites.
    • Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (art blog), photographs (photoblog), videos (video blog), music (MP3 blog), and audio (podcasting).
    • Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts.
    • As of 16 February 2011, there were over 156 million public blogs in existence.
  • I own a professional (law, accounting, etc…) or traditional (construction, industrial handling, etc…) type of firm. Why would I need a blog?
    • To stay relevant. Ultimately, a consistently updated website will be the driving force behind any successful digital venture that turns users into clients. No longer swayed by a nice store front or business card, this group of individuals wants to see a thriving digital presence. By demonstrating authority through the publication of articles, blog posts, or any other type of information, (yes, your updated section doesn’t even need to be labelled as a blog), your clients will not only solidify their trust in your company, but will continue to return, as well.
  • What is a CMS?
    • CMS stands for content management system. Instead of individually constructing every page, post, and update to your site, a CMS offers a website editor that gives you great flexibility in the publication and modification of information. CMSs can be custom built, openly developed, and customized in a number of ways to include as few or as many features as needed to form blogs, digital store fronts, or massive databases of information and articles for newspapers.
  • What type of CMS should I use for my project?
    • While some firms will state that every project is different and one CMS may be better suited than another, what we will tell you is that the latest versions of WordPress (3.x) excels beyond others in its field. This once simple blogging platform boasts a developer base that’s second to none, and now, thanks to these latest versions, it supports a variety of content types and nearly limitless customization. Combined with its zero cost and ease in installation and updating, we can safely say it’s our first choice.
  • Does your company exclusively specialize in blogs?
    • Not at all. While we specialize in digital publishing platforms and dynamic digital presences, we also provide the services necessary for simple, static websites. Although a basic static web page will work well as a solid placeholder for your real world company or organization, it won’t do much more beyond acting as a business card on display for potential customers. If that’s all you need, we’re certainly happy to help. But, if you think you’d like to think more strategically, we’re happy to get the conversation going right now.
  • I’m what you would call “web illiterate.” Can you help?
    • We sure can! Our team boasts extensive experience in training the “digitally curious,” as we like to say, since you’re certainly not web illiterate if you’ve reached this point! Whether its thanks to a few one-on-one screen sessions where we control your mouse for you  or  some quick tutorials presented in one of our webinars, we’re happy to help those who want to learn more about their websites and how to best manipulate and run them. After they’re out of the oven and ready for delivery, each one of our projects is accompanied by stylish documentation in the way of .pdfs and more. They include details such as login information and procedure, how to setup and jazz up posts, and lots of other useful information.
  • Will you provide print services for my new logo as well?
    • Absolutely! While it’s not our “personal” speciality, we’ve partnered up with a few wonderfully talented print shops that provide a variety of specialty items. If you’re interested, just shoot us a message.
  • I have a website emergency. What should I do?
    • Please e-mail emergency@blogwhatdesign.com. If you are a current client, we’ll be happy to resolve the issue ASAP, sometimes in a matter of minutes! If you are a new client, please expect a 24 hour turnaround period so that we may properly assess the situation and decide how we can best help. Please note that emergency charges are subject to a price of 150% to 400% rate charge. Your project manager will alert you of this rate before any work begins.
  • Can I hire BW?D to carry out continual maintenance on my website once it’s complete?
    • Absolutely! Since no digital presence should ever remain lifeless (read more about that here), we’re more than happy to work with you long term. Whether it means simply providing the technical and artistic knowledge to properly lay out newsletters every month or assisting you through numerous phases in further development, Blog What? Design is standing by ready to assist you.
  • How does this entire process work? 
    • We believe that the entire project process should be highly engaging and inspiring. Rather than providing a cut and dry experience, Blog What? Design will work to establish a fruitful and constructive relationship with you as a client. To gain a better understanding of our project philosophies, please take a look at our relationship page.
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Questions About Pricing

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  • What is your hourly rate? How much will my website cost to design, develop, and maintain?
    • Our hourly rates vary greatly and our overall project costs will vary even more. To gain a better understanding of some ballpark estimates, please take a look at our pricing page.
  • How does the payment process work?
    • We generally request that 40% to 50% percent of the current phase’s total anticipated cost be due at signing. Payments are then broken up into manageable chunks after that.
  • What does an initial consultation and proposal cost?
    • Blog What? Design offers one free consultation call to get the conversation going and to see if we’d be a good fit for your project. We’ll discuss everything from potential costs to some of the early stage ideas you may have. From there, we’ll begin to develop a comprehensive strategy for your new digital presence. It is important to note that our team does not provide strategy details in proposals as this type of information is highly proprietary and specialized in nature. You can be rest assured, however, that after extensive conversation, research, and analysis, we will provide and implement an expert strategy regardless of the select field. Already have everything in mind and just need someone to actuate the details? We can skip this step this step as well. Plus, our proposals are completely risk-free and require no deposit or payment.
  • What is your policy concerning rush work?
    • Just like emergency work, rush work is charged at a rate of 150% to 400% based upon the select hourly rates for each task. Drop us a line to see if you think we’d be a good fit to take on the task that you needed to have finished, yesterday.
  • Do you offer discounts for non-profits?
    • Yes, but on a very limited and personal basis. Please contact us if you think your project may qualify.
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