Web Design Questions
What is makespace!’s core expertise? (i.e.: web developing, marketing, etc)
We consider our core expertise to be visitor-to-client conversion. To accomplish this, we must be experts in all the factors that directly affect this (SEO, web marketing, social media, design, user-experience, information architecture, interactive features, programming, analytics, etc), which is why we have built a complete team of highly specialized team players. Ultimately, a large number of qualified website visitors is essentially useless if the website doesn’t convert them, and the reverse is true as well.
Can you send us examples of websites makespace! has designed?
Sure. We have over 150 websites functioning on the interwebs right now, and launch an average of 3 per week. Here are a few of various sizes and function:
http://ymcalouisville.org
http://rcckonline.com
http://qdobalouisville.com (as well as http://qdobanashville.com and http://qdobalexington.com)
http://taylorky.com
http://icingcrafters.com
http://dewater.com
http://hussung.com
http://isenbergsprayfoam.com
http://caldwell1887.com
http://kandjlaw.com
http://architypegallery.com
http://patriotfightwear.com
http://ramjacklouisville.com
http://statewideroofrepair.com
http://moore-smiles.com
http://casariverregion.org
http://kyda.org
You can also view our portfolio.
Does makespace! have a formal process that all projects go through?
Yes. In order to achieve the highest quality results we have developed a very effective and efficient process. We modify or embellish this process as needed, depending on the scope of the project.
Can you describe the typical process from meeting the customer, to developing, to testing, to launch of the website?
We can break our process down into 10 major stages. Within each stage, there are many smaller steps. The following is a simplified version, if you’d like a more detailed process guide, just ask:
- 1Discovery (needs assessment & subsequent research)
Where we get to know you & your business goals.
Example questions we would ask:
What would make you consider this website a success?
Who is your target audience?
Who are your major competitors?
What is your dream website?
Etc…
Also, if you have analytics on your current website, we’d love to see it…
- 2Proposal
Where we provide multiple options for your project.
We provide a detailed document based on satisfying the needs we uncovered during the Discovery process. We generally offer 2 distinct options: a “Wishlist” that has all the content and features needed for maximum ROI, and an “MVP” (Minimum Viable Product) that represents the minimum threshold needed to accomplish your major online goals. Of course we consider these “book-end” options in which there are multiple options somewhere in between.
- 3Engage
Where we reach an agreement on the project to move forward.
This stage consists of consulting with your committee to help determine what proposal to move forward with. We set tangible and attainable timelines and benchmarks. Once the agreement is signed and retaining fee is paid, the real fun begins!
- 4Pre-Design
Where we plan the foundation of your website.
In this stage we create / revise / finalize your sitemap and wireframe. We submit these to your committee for review, feedback and possible revisions. We also consider SEO planning and gather creative references and inspirations.
- 5Design
Where graphics, branding, planning and user-experience coalesce.
In this stage we create your index design based on the final planning documents. We present the design to your committee for review, feedback and possible revisions. Once approved we then create your individual subpage designs and repeat the review/feedback/revision process until your 100% satisfied with the design in full. (note: if we were tapped to provide photography services, we would do so at this time.)
- 6Production
Where we build your website!
In this stage we code and build your index and subpage design on our staging server. We then format and populate these pages with your copy and content (note: if we were tapped to provide copywriting services, we would do so at this time.) Your website will be built in a semantic, table-less format. After this point, any member of your committee will be able to monitor the progress online. 3 of our 4 SEO phases take place during this time.
- 7Back-End Integration
Where we make your website functional and update-able.
Here’s where we integrate your content management system, database, and interactive features. Once integrated we allow for testing by your committee and fixes of any issues we call this the “shakeout” period. One it’s perfect, it’s showtime…..
- 8Launch
Your website goes live!
We upload your website to the live server (ours if you choose or a 3rd party). We install the tracking and analytics code and start collecting data on visitor activity.
- 9Marketing (optional, but recommended)
We bring qualified potential customers to your website
We offer full web-marketing services: PPC and Adwords, Offsite SEO, Social Media marketing, referral website marketing, etc.
- 10Evolution and Additions
Evolve your website as needed over time
The web is nothing if not dynamic. Your website will need to evolve over time as trends and expectations change and features emerge. You can count on us to be experts on all things web so that we can advise as needed. Your website is designed to be maintained by your in-house team (if desired) on a day to day basis, but we’re available for updates and modifications of all scope and size should you require.
What is our role in the process?
You have the opportunity to be involved in the project as much or as little as you would like. We encourage as much client participation as possible. We want to work with you to understand your business to present it the best way possible on the web. However, once we fully understand the needs of your company as it pertains to the website, the very least we will need from you is specific information about your company, bullet points of your services, products, etc., and approval once items are designed.
How does makespace! communicate the process and progress to us the customer?
This depends on what the client prefers. You will be assigned a dedicated and professional project manager that is available for meetings, phone or conference calls, and email. We also have built our own project management website that you can reference at any time and monitor the progress of your site. This website is here: http://thehiveccd.com. Once you become a client you will be provided with a secure username and password.
Will we be assigned a specific contact for any questions and concerns throughout the process?
Yes, you will be assigned a dedicated, knowledgeable, and professional Project Manager. You will be provided with the cell phone number of our Founder as well as our Office Manager to ensure excellent customer service.
Approximately how many people will be involved in the design of our site?
This depends on the final scope, but you can expect at least 6 individual specialists to contribute their expertise to your website. These include:
a Project Manager
a Creative Director
a User Experience Designer
a Production (Front-End) Coder
a Back-End Developer
an SEO expert
And you may also require:
a Social Media Expert
a Marketing Specialist
a Photographer / Videographer
a Copywriter
a Merchant Account Expert
We also have a business development director on staff to help clients who may be in need of help with their business plans and another graphic designer provides collateral, logo and icon development.
What are some of your marketing strategies that you’ll use to promote our site?
Again this depends completely on your final decisions of project scope and demographic research (as well as individual considerations for each of your 4 products/service types, but we feel a good mix of the following will be best:
SEO
Adwords
Social Media Marketing
Challenge Response Campaigns
Targeted Promotions
Strategic Links
Enhancing “real world” marketing strategies (ex: Tradeshow Presentations and Displays)
Can you give examples or keywords to show how well your search engine optimizations work?
On a national level:
Search on Google for “Ready Meal Systems” and the top 2 results on page 1 is our client (Raque Foods)
Search on Google for “Gourmet Cupcake Icing” and the 6th result on page 1 is our client (Icing Crafters). This is remarkable considering this website is brand new, having only launched a month ago!
On a local / regional level:
Search on Google for “Who Has The Best Website in Louisville”. The 1st result on page one is us!
Search on Google for “Mechanical Contractors Louisville”. The 1st or 2nd result on page one is our client (Hussung Mechanical).
Search on Google for “HVAC Louisville”. The 2nd result on page one is our client (Production HVAC).
Search on Google for “Accident Attorney Louisville”. The 1st result on page 1 is our client (KYAAA)
Search on Google for “Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Louisville”. The 1st and only map result and 4th result on page one is our client (Driscoll & Associates).
Search on Google for “Home Theater Louisville”. The 1st result on page one is our client (Century Entertainment).
Search on Google for “Roof Repair Louisville”. The 1st result on page one is our client (Statewide Roof Repair).
Search on Google for “Auto Repair Louisville”. The 1st result on page one is our client (Springdale Automotive).
Search on Google for “Federal Attorney Louisville”. The 3rd result on page one is our client (Cox & Mazzoli).
We have many, many more examples if you require.
Are you able to incorporate Flash animation?
We are able to design and/or incorporate Flash. However we do not consider it best practice because it is unsupported on mobile Apple products. We recommend jquery / javascript animation because you can view jquery animations on all products.
Are you able to create interactive presentations for download or distribution?
Absolutely. We have arguably the best 3D rendering / interactive designer on the planet. I’d be happy to present our work to you in person.
Do you also handle marketing materials such as literature, PDF, and trade show setups?
Yes, we provide professional print collateral design, tradeshow presentation & displays, video, PDF creation & more. This will allow a high level of consistency between your marketing and interactive materials.
Are the websites you design compatible with all browsers?
Our entire design development and marketing team members are optimization specialists who work to achieve maximum compatibility across a wide variety of software and platforms, including all major browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc) as well as mobile devices.
What is a typical size of a site you have designed (what is the largest – # of pages)?
A typical size is approximately 20 – 50 pages. However, we have made splashpages as small as 1 page (nine-bridges.com) to sites as large as 575 pages (Louisville YMCA).
We have a current site. Would makespace! explain the benefits of revamping our current site vs. starting over? Is “revamping” a process that your company does?
We are not opposed to a revamping if we consider a site fixable. There are multiple possible reasons we would recommend a full redesign of your current site. Here are 3 big ones:
1) The site is designed with “tables”. Tables are very dated and not semantic. Google has geared their search algorithm to favor semantic, table-less websites. This is all we build.
2) The user-experience of the current website is far less than ideal. As user-experience is directly associated with client conversion, we recommend a full rebuild.
3) The navigational structure needs a complete redesign.
However there is often salvageable content on your current website that we could use on the new one.
Does makespace! have a typical program to design sites?
We are a full custom website design company with many options depending on your needs and budget. For the front end we prefer a combination of HTML and CSS. On the back end we prefer PHP and MySQL. We have created a custom PHP based CMS (content management system), which we also recommend, but are equally adept at WordPress or Joomla. We can also design in ASP and are fluent in ColdFusion.
Does makespace! have the capability to design multi-lingual sites to target our international customers?
Yes. We also offer multilingual SEO and marketing services.
Does makespace! have maintenance programs for updating sites?
Our maintenance programs are as flexible as our design process. Options include, but are not limited to:
• A robust CMS that allows your in-house staff to make day to day changes or additions
• A custom monthly agreement
• As needed
Does makespace! have the ability to incorporate a secured transaction merchant account?
We do. We create many e-commerce sites and have have an in-house e-commerce / merchant account / payment gateway compliance expert. This person actually “wrote the book” on the now well established recurring payment model.
Does makespace! provide the SSL certificate free of charge?
We install SSL certificates free of charge on e-commerce websites that we create. Our SSL certificates are $149.99/year or you could provide one from a trusted 3rd party vendor.
We host our own website, would that cause any problems?
Not as long as your server is equipped with the features it needs to support a modern, dynamic website.
How long has makespace! been in business?
We have been in business since 2006 and we’ve quickly become one of the leading marketing and design studios in the region. We’ve grown from a staff of 5 to 24 in the last seven months. In fact, we are opening our Chicago Office in 1 week! We plan on being in this business as long as humans are in control!
How many employees are in your company?
Makespace Media + Design Lab has a full time staff of 24.
Financially stable and debt free?
Yes. And expanding……
Do you have an office building where the designing would take place or would it be a home based type project?
We have a 7,000 sq ft facility in the heart of Louisville that is open every weekday from 9 until 6. Drop in!
Do we own the code and everything on the website once payment has been made?
Yes. Free and clear.
With our scope of work and expectations, will makespace! be able to provide an estimate on costs for this type of service?
No. We would need additional clarification and to conduct a “needs assessment” as described in our process above.
Why should I do business with makespace?
We “get it”. We understand the entire buying process and psychology of the consumer both on and offline. We understand how to make you look your best on the web. We’re passionate and driven. We consider you a symbiotic partner. We base our success on your success. And we’re easy to work with!