"I resemble only half the things I say I don't," the Golux said. "The other half resemble me." — James Thurber, The 13 Clocks
I design and maintain websites for individuals and small businesses. My focus is on keeping a site clear, simple, and usable for the visitor — and for the owner, too.
My interest in websites began as a hobby around 1997, when my brother needed a site for his technology business. I took a website design class to increase my skill, but soon saw that much of what is taught and practiced is non-standard and overly complicated. Fortunately, I also found out that the basics are not really so hard.
I now enjoy providing website services and tutoring individuals in the basics of computer use. I also provide consultation on personal and metaphysical matters — in other words, I'm a strange person and you should avoid me.
If this is your first website, and you want me to set it up, here are the basics:
It's one thing to set up a website, but quite another to have a plan for how it will be maintained. Many small websites run into trouble because the designers focus on making them impressive-looking yet fail to give the owners any tools or know-how for making updates. And designers have a way of disappearing.
That's why I set up websites with maintenance in mind, and provide my clients with as much technical understanding as they care to have — as well as the passwords — so that they're not stuck helpless when I'm not around. I want you to feel you're in control of your site.
My standard fee for creative and technical services (consultation, editing and proofreading, design and layout, programming and updates) is $40.00 per hour. Setup of a small site can take anywhere from 2½ to several hours; the minimum for updates is ½ hour.
In addition, hosting — having your site up and running — will normally cost you $6.95 per month if prepaid for a year, or $7.95 if billed monthly. (This is for hosting by Tiger Technologies LLC in Berkeley, California, which I recommend. If you already have a site, you can keep your existing arrangement.)
Prices listed above are in US dollars.
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Some clients ask me questions like: Can I have a link over here? Is there a way to change the background over there? What if I want a form so that people can (sign up for a newsletter, register for an event, buy a product, etc.) — can you do that?
The short answer is: Yes, of course.
The slightly longer answer: Changing the text, adding or removing links, altering the colors and layout, and creating forms and buttons — these are all normal parts of a basic website. Some things commonly found on websites, however, such as pop-up menus, I may advise you to avoid. There are several reasons for this: Such items often distract and annoy visitors, impair navigation by the disabled, cause pages to load more slowly, require expensive programming time, and make the site trickier to maintain.
Yes. I'll probably need your site's password information, and, depending on your setup, there may be limits on the changes I can make. I'll be happy to help in whatever way I can.
When you own a website, email addresses are part of the package. For all practical purposes, you can have as many as you want. (This applies to sites hosted by Tiger Technologies; some hosting companies restrict what addresses you can create.)
A common misperception is that each website comes from a particular program, and that the site can only be maintained and edited using that program. Yes, there are programs that lock you in, but I don't use them, and no website really requires such a program. So, for me, this question is like asking an automobile mechanic what brand of wrenches he uses.
Similarly, some people ask whether I use Windows or Mac. Websites, however, are based on an open standard that belongs to no single platform.
The most useful thing I can say here is this: To create and maintain web pages, one needs tools for editing site files and placing them on a server. Like a set of wrenches in a mechanic's toolbox, my collection includes several plain-text editors, image editors, and file-transfer programs.
In business there are just two rules. Rule number 1: Never tell everything you know.
The world in which each of us lives is made of attention. Attention is the most valuable substance on earth. Guard yours with care.
Contact me via email or contact form
Updated 21 June 2010