F.A.Q.
Before Hiring A Web Design Firm
- Should I consider hiring only local web design firms?
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OK, we get it — you want a web design firm that you can meet and greet with face-to-face, just so, when you need something, you can drive out to meet with them. The real question is how do you define "local"? There are local firms that are in the same city with you, but their offices are 45-60 minutes away, which means meetings can potentially be very limited. There are also firms that are located in other states. However, they can meet with you right away via modern means, such as Skype, GoToMeeting, etc. or simply, phone calls. Here's our (somewhat shocking) statistic:
- We've never met face-to-face with 95% of our clients (and we have a lot of clients all over the United States.)
- Approximately 85% of our local clients (in the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex) have never met with us face-to-face.
- Of the approximately 15% local clients that we've had the privilege to meet face-to-face, the meetings actually occurred at their offices.
- Bonus fact — 50% of all those meetings involved donuts and cupcakes.
Jokes aside, if your website project is potentially very large, and face-to-face meetings are very important for you during the web design/development process, then yes, try your best to find a local web design firm. In most cases, the location of a web design firm is not as important as other factors such as quality, affordability, and availability. - So many web design firms, which one should I choose?
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All web design firms claim to provide the highest quality. They all claim to provide the best designs. They all claim to be the most dependable. #OMG! #Confusing! #Help!
Keep calm and consider these factors:
- Portfolio: Fresh? New projects? Reputable clients? Diverse?
- Fees: Simple? Transparent? Fixed? Affordable? Accept payments in U.S. dollars and Bitcoins?
- Schedule: Long? Too long? Short? Too short? Just right?
- Workload: Too busy? — they may not have much time for you. Too free? — in this booming economy, if a firm is not busy, they may not be very good!
- Ownership/Licensing: Will you own the source code? Will images be licensed in your name?
- How many web design firms should I put on my shortlist?
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The more firms you interview, the more comfortable you will be with the final choice, but it also means more time is required during the process. Therefore, don't underestimate the amount of time it would take to properly interview a firm. Below are the facts from our actual clients:
- Our clients often disclose that, on average, they usually interview 4 to 5 web design firms.
- Of all of our clients, the ones that have formal marketing teams and mission critical projects often have longer shortlists. For example, one exceptional client of ours interviewed at least 10 web design firms in the Dallas - Fort Worth area alone, performed Strength/Weakness analysis on all of them, assigned scores to each one on an Excel sheet, before making their final choice. If you have the time and resources to do that, then by all means. If not, just hire us!
- For those clients that don't have formal marketing teams, the search and interview process is often performed by Associates, Secretaries, or people in leadership roles, such as Managing Partners and Presidents. They often rely on word-of-mouth, and frequently, we are the beneficiaries.
- Bonus fact: Since the early days, more than half of our clients come from referrals.
- How should I reach out to the web design firms on my shortlist?
- Straight from one of our clients' mouth: "Don't call them. Just email them a bunch of questions (using their contact form) and see how quickly they return your inquiries and how patiently they answer your questions." That would provide additional insights into the potential relationship you would have with the web design firms.
Working With PixFlex – Your Web Design Firm
- Does PixFlex sign NDAs – Non-Disclosure Agreements?
- Yes, please send us your NDA and we will sign it. In fact, even without a signed NDA, you can rest assured that your information and your business ideas are safe with us.
- Do you work with other national agencies?
- Yes. We love working with national and international advertising agencies. PixFlex is one of the very few "boutique" firms that large advertising agencies depend on when a specific set of expertise is required. And yes, we do sign nondisclosure agreements (NDA).
- How do I pay PixFlex and/or other service providers?
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Since PixFlex operates on a fixed cost basis, you know exactly how much you need to pay, no more, no less. Payments to PixFlex is very simple. For most projects, PixFlex requires:
- 30% down payment to start the Design process.
- 40% payment to start the Development process after Designs are done and approved.
- 30% final payment to launch the site.
- Hosting fees: The client can pick and choose their hosting provider and pay them directly.
- Asset Licensing costs: The client is responsible for purchasing and/or licensing images, videos, audio, plug-ins..., if applicable, and makes payments to the licensors directly.
- Other/Optional Fees: Security license (SSL), payment processing services...
After Your Website is Launched
- Who owns the source code?
- Except licensed assets, you own the custom code and graphics that we create for your website. Period. Our clients can use the graphics we created for other purposes, such as PowerPoint presentations, on-screen display, tearsheets, posters, etc.
- Who is responsible for backing-up my website?
- Backups (website and related databases) can be performed on a monthly, daily, or even hourly basis on the server. Therefore, hosting providers often charge a minimal fee to perform this service for you. You should request this service from them and pay their fees directly.
- Does PixFlex provide on-going support?
- Yes. We provide support on an as-need basis. There is no monthly fee or retaining fee. PixFlex performs the tasks then bills you for time and material afterward.