Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to complete a website?

It depends on the size and complexity of your site, but we usually estimate about 4 weeks from start to finish on an average size project. However, you are a big part of the timeframe equation as we will be depending on you to review and approve the design of the site as well as providing us with website content. We make every effort to complete websites in the timeliest manner, but we don’t cut corners. We create unique designs and ensure that all code is properly written, which will take some extra time.

If you have a specific deadline for the completion of your project, just let us know on the onset and we will make sure to have the site finished by then. With your cooperation we can finish a site in less than a week.

If you are relying on us on content creation as well, this will be done simultaneously with the design and development and should not affect the time it takes us to complete the site.

What is the process of creating a website with BIS Designs?

Each customer is different, so naturally this can vary a bit, but in general it follows the steps outlined below.

1. Creative Conference. The purpose of this is to gather all the information needed to get started on a design. Often all of this has been covered during the sale process, and no additional meetings will be necessary.
2. Design. BIS Designs will create an initial design based on the customer’s requests. This will be available for review on a temporary url. At this point it will not be a functional website, but only a flat image that shows what the website will look like. After customer feedback, the design is altered if necessary. Once the customer has approved the design, we will move on to develop the site.
3. Development. The design is turned into a working website. All the pages of the site are created. Content from the customer needs to be provided to BIS Designs by this point to incorporate into the site.
4. Going Live. Once the completed site has been approved by the customer, it will be uploaded to the live domain.
5. Maintenance. We will build the website with self-editing capabilities. Customer will be provided with documentation on how to manage their own website. BIS Designs can always assist with minor and major upgrades to the site at an hourly charge.

Content Creation
If we are helping you with writing the text for the website, this will be done simultaneously with the designing, so this is already when we start developing the site.

Can I update my own site?

Yes, most definitely. All the sites we develop are setup on a powerful CMS (content management system) which will allow you to log in to your site and make updates. Making updates is easy; it’s about as complex as creating a document in MS Word. Naturally we provide you with training on how to update your site.

What is a domain name? What is webhosting? How does it all work?

Web Server: A web server is just a fancy computer that is connected to the internet. The difference between a regular computer and a web server is that a web server needs to be able to run constantly without interruptions and to handle thousands of people accessing it at the same time. There are also special software installed on a web server.

IP Address: Each webserver has a unique name, which is called an IP address or IP number. For instance, one of our web servers has the number 69.85.244.26.

Domain: The domain is the name of a website. This is what you type into a browser to get to the site. A domain is used to make it easier to remember where a site is (askbisdesigns.com is much easier to remember than 69.85.244.26/askbisdesigns). When you set up a domain you are asked what IP number to link it to (i.e. which webserver the files for your site are on). Domain names are sold by a few companies, for instance godaddy.com. If we create your website, we will handle this for you. If you already have a domain, we just need access to the account to change the settings so it points to our web server.

Hosting: Hosting is the term used for putting the files for a website on a web server. If you are hosting your website with BIS Designs, all the files for your site is one a web server in our data center in Robertsdale, Alabama.

I already have a website, can that be moved to you? Yes, moving a website is a two-step process. First all the files for the site need to be copied to the new webserver. This can be as easy as just copying and pasting the files. But it can also be a more involved process – it all depends on your site, and how it was initially set up. The second step is to tell the domain name to point to the IP Address of the new web server. This would be done in the settings in the account where the domain was registered, for instance godaddy.com.

Do you offer e-commerce solutions?

Yes we do. We are a reseller of the ProductCart e-commerce system which is a very powerful storefront with tons of features. It comes with a complete web-based administration that allows you to easily manage your inventory and handle incoming orders. We can also offer other solutions if you only need a smaller, simpler store with a handful of products.

Do you outsource your design work?

No, we do not outsource any of our design work. All work is done in-house in our Robertsdale office.

What sort of Search Engine services do you offer?

All sites built by BIS Designs are coded to be as effective as possible in the search engines. This includes proper setup of site titles, keywords, descriptions, headers, and alt-tags. We also create sitemaps that are submitted to the major search engines. In addition to optimization techniques employed on your site, we can also assist in other search engine strategies, such as set up of a blog, assisting in setup of social networking, and paid search engine marketing.