Frequently Asked Questions
Web Design Questions
How much does a website cost?
For more costing information read this article which includes a price guide.
How long does the whole process take?
Ideally we like to complete new websites in 5-6 weeks, ecommerce websites in 6-8 weeks. That is from when you give us the go ahead, allowing approximately 1-2 weeks to come back with initial site design concepts, another week to fine tune these to the final designs and then 2-3 weeks development time to give you the first offline draft of the working site.
Do you provide a warranty?
We provide a 3 month warranty on new websites to correct any issues or errors (not changes). After this point any issues or updates are charged at our hourly rate, which we can quote on as required.
Will my site be search engine friendly?
All new websites are setup to be search engine friendly based on the latest standard which Google recommends. While we do submit new websites to Google, they generally will not be optimised for any specific keywords, please see our search engine optimisation (SEO) service for more information on increasing traffic to your site.
Can I edit the site myself?
Yes, we can include our easy to use, client content management system (sometime referred to as a CMS) which is a secure, password protected admin area for your site. This system can be configured to update most site features you require to edit frequently such as content pages, gallery images, products or blogs. To save on setup costs you may opt to only setup pages 'statically' which we can update for you when required at an additional cost.
Will my site be mobile friendly?
Yes, in all new websites we include mobile friendly or responsive web design as standard. Again, to save on setup costs you can opt to setup the site for desktop only.
What is responsive web design?
Responsive web design is a process of site design which adapts to the screen size of the device viewing the site, allowing the same content to be displayed on desktop, tablet or mobile devices in a user friendly way.
Do you test on different browsers? Will everyone see my site the same?
To ensure your site works correctly and appears the same on all devices, we test new websites on the most popular browsers / devices at the time of launch, generally these are browsers with a 2% or higher usage rate. As there are hundreds of different versions of browser software running on many operating systems and devices it is impossible to test every different device to ensure the site looks and works as expected. We can offer an extended testing service for specific browsers or devices at an additional cost.
Can you register a domain name?
Yes we can, .com.au domain names are $30+GST / 2 years. We can also register most other domains from other countries.
Do you provide website hosting?
Yes, we provide our own dedicated hosting starting from $360+GST / year. Our hosting service is a very premium, high quality service, hosted locally in a Sydney datacentre which is monitored 24/7/365 and includes a range of features such as cpanel access, daily backups and 99.9% uptime.
Can I use my own web hosting?
We don't recommend this, while there are a lot of cost effective web hosts out there, it's hard to know how good the service or support will be and in most cases you will share the server with hundreds if not thousands of other websites. If you do decide to use your own hosting be aware that there may be additional costs if we have to troubleshoot issues with the server to get the site working on this service.
Does your hosting include email?
It does, however we do not offer an IT support service, this is an area we do not specialise in. We do have some great partners that are more skilled in this area and can make a recommendation if required. We also recommend G suite offering from Google.
I already have an IT provider who looks after my domain and email?
That's fine, we can work with your provider to point the web traffic only to your new website hosted on our server, that way your domain and email remain untouched and you get the benefits of our quality hosting.
Can you write the content for my website?
Yes we can.
What platform do you set up websites on?
All of our websites are custom developed using a our own site framework, this allows us to deliver you exactly the site features and design to suit your business without the limitations of an out of the box or open source site software such as Wordpress, X-cart or Joomla.
Can you work on my existing site?
We can, however it is very difficult for us to quote on projects created by other developers. We can provide a ballpark budget, however all projects of this type are charged at our hourly rate only.
Do you work with out of the box site software such as Wordpress, Magento or Xcart?
We have had experience working in these formats and can help. But please be aware of the limitations of each platform, which can sometimes be problematic to customise or troubleshoot issues caused by plugins etc. We can provide a ballpark budget, however all projects of this type are charged at our hourly rate only.
Do you use pre-made site templates?
No, all sites are custom designed.
How many rounds of revisions are included?
Generally we will include 1 round of revisions in the concept design stage and then another round of revisions once the site is ready for review on an offline testing location prior to going live. All other rounds of revisions are charged at our hourly rate.
What does a round of revisions include?
Rounds of revisions are included to tweak a design or site, and to rectify any errors or omissions, not for extensive changes or total re-designs. Here are some examples of what we DON'T consider revisions:
- Providing a whole new set of initial design concepts (refer to our process)
- Full re-designs of site pages
- Addition of new features not included in the original scope
- Extensive text corrections on multiple pages (please provide proof read content initially)
- Photo re-touching, photography, video editing etc
Design is a collaborative, labour driven process, we are more than happy to work through as many rounds of revisions to ensure your project is perfect and ticks all the boxes, however this all costs money, and therefore additional rounds of revisions not included in the initial scope of work will be charged at our hourly rate.
What is the difference between 'setup of pages' and 'design of pages' in quotes?
With 'setup of pages' we simply place your provided content and images into the page as is, adding basic formatting and styling based on the site template. With 'design of pages' we spend a lot more time coming up with an actual unique design for the page taking into account how to best achieve the required outcomes. The design process is a lot more involved and therefore more costly, however does deliver better results and we definitely recommend for the home page and key landing pages.
Do you outsource web production to cheap overseas companies?
No,we do our web production and development in-house. Our specialist team has full control over the process from start to finish, not a third party.
SEO
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimisation and is the process of optimising a websites content and other offsite factors in order to rank highly for a particular keyword or phrase on search engines like Google and Bing.
Can you guarantee ranking positions?
We will not guarantee any positions, no matter how easy they would be to attain, Google itself suggests to beware of providers who make claims of this type. What we do guarantee is that we will optimise your website to the best practices Google requires for high positions.
How long before my site ranks on the first page?
This is dependant on a number of factors including how specific a keyword is, how many competing websites and how popular those sites are compared to your site. For keywords with a low to medium amount of competition websites we would estimate 4-6 months to get onto the first page, with high competition keywords, allow 6-12 months.
How long before my site ranks at number 1 position?
Like the previous question, this depends on the other websites competing for the particular keyword, which may be themselves investing in optimisation for their website, possibly to a greater degree. Our ultimate aim is position 1 and if our basic program is unable to achieve the top result, we have a number of add on services including content writing, advanced link building and social optimisation to boost online popularity.
How will I know the SEO is working?
When we start the optimisation process we will provide an initial ranking report showing exactly where your site ranks for the selected keywords. On a monthly basis (usually the first of each month) we provide a rank report which shows any increase in keyword position compared to the initial rank when we started the process.
What is the difference between Paid and organic search?
Paid search marketing means you advertise within the sponsored listings of a search engine, such as Google Adwords, by paying each time your ad is clicked. Cost depends on popularity of the search term you are using and can be controlled by setting a daily spend budget.
Organic search is a method for entering one or more search terms into a search engine such as Google, Yahoo, Bing. Organic search results are listings on engine results pages that appear because of their relevance to the search terms, as opposed to being paid advertisements.
Branding / Logo Design
How much does a logo cost?
For more costing information read this article which includes a price guide.
How long does it take to design a logo?
Generally we like to allow 2 weeks to come up with the initial design concepts before we present. For the standard 2 rounds of revisions included allow another 1-2 weeks to finalise the logo design, depending on how quickly we receive feedback of course. For the style guide and included artwork designs (such as business cards, etc) we allow another 1-2 weeks for completion. Usually the whole process can be completed under 2 months.
How many rounds of revisions are included?
Generally we will include 2 rounds of revisions in the concept design stage and then another round of revisions to the style guide document. All other rounds of revisions are charged at our hourly rate.
I can get cheaper online, why is your service better?
There are a number of online logo design services and competition sites out there, however where we excel is the detail we will put into the project, the personal service and local market knowledge.
Who owns the rights to the logo design?
Technically, copright is the property of the designer, however once the final balance of the invoices are paid for the project we are happy to provide a copyright release document if requested.
What kind of files do I receive?
At bare minimum you will receive CMYK and RGB versions of your logo in EPS, PDF and JPG format. Additional file formats, colour modes and colour reverse variations will be outlined in the quote.
Printing
How long will my printing take?
Most standard printing will be delivered in under 5 business days. Specialised jobs which include a number of processes such as scoring, folding, varnishes etc may take slightly longer. Large runs may also increase turnaround time as well.
Where is the printing completed?
We only use Australian suppliers for our printing, depending on the type of printing required and your location it may be completed in either Sydney or Perth. We only use reliable, proven print suppliers, which we have worked with for over 20 years.
What if there is a problem when the printing arrives?
Just give us a call and send through some images and we will investigate the cause straight away and arrange for replacement prints.
How can we ensure the colour is accurate?
Matching corporate colours is important to maintain brand consistency. We do offer full colour, physical proofs prior to printing starting from $40+GST. This does add more time to the printing process but ensures all colours are acceptable.
I don't have time to chase up printing quotes, can you do that for me?
Yes, we have a reliable network of trusted printers and we can advise on paper selection, size, texture, finish, weight (gsm) and provide a quote to give you the best value for your print project.
Do you use recycled or environmentally friendly printing papers?
Print paper stock varies widely, from fully recycled post consumer waste, pre consumer waste, recycled mixed with other natural fibres and papers sourced from eco friendly sustainable forests. There is a wide choice and we can assist and guide you in making the best choice.
What is four colour printing?
Called four colour process, where four ink colours are overprinted in various percentages to form images. These are three secondary colours Cyan (Blue) Magenta (Red) and Yellow plus Black....commonly referred to as CMYK.
General
Where does the name Thomas Marsden come from?
When the business started in 1972 the name was derived from the middle names of the two partners, Geoffrey Thomas Dollin and Phillip Marsden Morehead.
Can I pay with credit card?
Yes you can, we offer Visa, Mastercard and Amex. You can pay via our website in the client centre or give us a call and we can process over the phone. Please note Amex carries a 3.25% surcharge.