I like to see the trailer for a movie before I plunk down $9.50 to see it at the theatre. If I haven’t seen the preview, I’ve most likely seen an ad or read a review or heard good things about the movie from friends. I like to know what I’m getting into before I commit two hours and a fistful of cash to a film. If you’ve hired me to make your blog pretty, or are thinking of doing so, you deserve to know what to expect if we work on a project together. You can see examples of our work on the portfolio page, but to learn about our workflow, keep reading.
The estimate
Before we decide to work together, I will ask you to submit an estimate request which details what services you are interested in. If you’re not entirely sure what you want, we can talk about that too and I’ll recommend the services I believe to be best for your needs and budget. I will also let you know when I can fit the project into my schedule. Before we start any work, we’ll agree on the specific list of services I will be providing, my revision policy and the final price.
Payment
I accept payment via PayPal, check or money order. Depending on the scope of the project, we can break the payment into 2 or 3 installments. A down payment is required to secure your place in my job queue.
New client questionnaire
I will send you a new client questionnaire. You can email your answers back to me or we can discuss it over the phone. The questionnaire helps me determine what you want and what your visitors will want. The questionnaire makes sure we get started on the same page. At this time I will also ask you to send me any images, videos or other elements you wish to incorporate into your project.
Initial mockups
After we’ve figure out what direction to head in, I will create mockups of your blog using a graphics program. These mockups won’t be a working web page, just images displaying how the final site will look. I’ll send the images to you and ask for comments. Please review the images carefully. This is exactly how the final blog design will look. You must reply with a full list of revisions you would like made. I will make a certain number of revisions for free, but I charge extra for additional revisions. The number of free revisions and the price of additional revisions will be agreed upon before work starts.
Template building
Once you’ve given final approval on the mockups, I will start coding you site in HTML and CSS so it will work as a functioning web site. If you’ve decided to host your site on its own domain, we will need to set up that service at this time. (Don’t worry, I’ll help!) I will need the login information to any services your project requires, from your blog software to Flickr etc. If you don’t feel comfortable giving me your password, you can temporarily change it to an alternate password and then change it back when I’ve completed your work. I will install any necessary plug-ins and adjust any settings in your blog software as necessary.
Final tweaks
Once your blog is online and working, we’ll take a day to shake it down and make sure everything is working as it should. You’ll be able to send me a list of any tweaks needed, but this list can only include items that were agreed upon in the original estimate. Any new requests will require a new estimate and will cost an additional amount of money. Large deviations include, but are not limited to, adding new features, new usability, or significantly changing graphics.
Walkthrough
If you desire, I will give you a walkthrough teaching you how to use the blog software and any other features I’ve installed for you. I can perform this tutorial over the phone, via Skype or via email. Final payment is due upon completion of the project
Let’s get started!
Thanks for reading over the process. If you have any questions or concerns, ask me on the contact page. Then we can get started making a blog we can both be proud of!
