Getting Started
(worth the read)
Logo • Design Direction • SEO • E-Mail • Branding • Website • Marketing
Logo – Congratulations! If you're moving forward with a logo, website or social media program, this is a big step. Here are some things we'll need before starting:
Tell us about your business! How did you start? It's also a good idea to write this part down, you can use it in your "about" page later on!
Business / Company name to be included.
Initials you'd like to use.
Anything special we should know, like did your brother make a crest out of the business name 20 years ago that would be cool to incorporate somehow?
Styles you prefer - tell us 3 logos you like, not to copy but to see your style.
Where will this logo be used, business cards, website, brochures, vehicle wrap?
Who is your target audience? Homeowners, at home moms, white-collar professionals, children, animal owners, there are so many target audiences!
Fonts, what text style do you like, thin, bold, rounded. If you have no preference, we'll find something that suites.
COLORS, COLORS, COLORS..... Color choice preferences – VERY IMPORTANT! Tell us the colors you like & don’t like, please list them so we can know what to lean toward as well as stay away from.
Images – Are there images you prefer and have in mind we should include in your logo and/or website? Are there things we should not include? If you have an idea in mind, please let us know because we love creating and we want to make you something you’ll love. We don't want to put a tree in your new school logo and find out later you hate trees!
Tagline - If you already have one, include it, even if you don’t want it used, (let us know) but it gives us a better idea of how to design. You might be incorporating your tagline on other material in the future, we want your logo to look great no matter what the situation. If you’d like us to create a tagline for you, please ask and we’d be glad to help.
From this point, we’ll put a few mock-ups together for you. With the one style you like the best, we'll put finishing touches on till you love it! :) We use several different kinds of fonts to give you a well-rounded idea. We suggest not rushing on this part either, it's important for branding, it isn’t the only part of branding but it is a large part. Also, the website will reflect the look and feel of your logo. Think of this as your centerpiece, it should complement everything but not overpower. We take the time to understand who you are, translate that into your custom artwork and portray your image in the best light. We love to help make people shine!
SEO - Search Engine Optimization
Local SEO - Search Engine Optimization - Posting your business on search engines.
If you're moving forward with our Local SEO program, (posting on 35-100 local search engines), please complete as much info as possible. Keep in mind, the more complete & streamlined your business listings are, the more effective it will be. If we're setting up anything for you on our end, please put "JDesign" in place of that answer and we'll add that in for you.
Business Name (please be exact, LLC, Inc.)
Owners Name
Business Address - Google doesn't like P.O. boxes :(
Business Phone Number
City & State
Business Website Address
Business Email
Description of business
Keywords - Words to describe your business, are you a CPA? Financial, bookkeeping, accounting, employees, benefits. A full list may be required when moving forward.
Year Established
Attach Photos or Logo in jpg form, higher resolution is better and we can reduce it if necessary per application.
Attach links to any social media sites you already have set up for your business. Facebook, Google+, Twitter, YouTube etc.
Domain Names:
For more information about domains, visit our Domain Page
Domain name choice / choices ideas you'd like. You should go with the name of the company but sometimes you have to go with a variation.
We can purchase domain names for you but we still need the following information to put it in your name. When we purchase them, we act as admin but you’re the owner. So if someone does a “whois” search on who owns your domain name, your business should pop up, not mine. This is also really important for the future ownership of your domain, don’t lose it! That can be very costly and tiresome to regain control.
To register domain we'll need:
Your Contact name
Name of Business
Business Address & zip
Phone
E-mail
Year established
E-MAIL $5/month
E-Mail: For more information about email, visit our E-mail Page
We suggest G Suite (formally GoogleApps for Business) e-mail for business.
To set it up you'll need the same info as the domain registration, so that will cover both. This is the email that will be under the domain name like you@yourbusinessname.com.
G Suite Business email - This is only $5/month, we've shopped around folks and we really like this one the best, very user friendly and way easier than some of the GoDaddy business emails. If you needed a separate account, it would be another $5/month for each "user". This one “user” covers one person and looks so much more professional than having folks contact you through a yahoo or regular Gmail account.
G Suite Set Up - If we set this up for you, 1st month is free then they will require a credit card for their yearly fees. We charge $45 to set up the first user and $35 for each additional user. This is our one time fee, then you will be invoiced yearly, directly through Google Apps.
Check out G Suite Business e-mail HERE: G Suite e-mail
Additional Information
Website Content #1 - We find that's a lot easier and more time efficient for clients when there's a lot of material to utilize Dropbox. We will set up a folder for you and send you a link. It also allows you to go in and see what you've already sent, instead of sifting through 1000 emails. This would also apply to any PDF's, forms and pictures and helps keep all articles, photos and content in one place for each client. That way you can upload anything you need included and you know it's there. This makes life on both ends MUCH better.
Here's a quick & helpful video on how Dropbox works with shared folders: Thank you Will Washington, great video!
Website Content #2 - We can help with minor content editing, if you're interested in actual custom content writing, ask about our rates. We have several highly trained content writers and can accommodate a variety of industries. We still need to know something about your company though. We suggest that you spend some time putting together a few paragraphs about how you started or what your niche is. Perhaps a story about how you helped a certain client or stand out from the crowd in your community. We will not copy content from other websites and use that on your site. Please don't ask us to. Even asking us to do that and "change it a little", still a big no-no.
Hosting - We provide our own hosting with our websites. Please call for prices.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - All sites will have general SEO properties however we now have two SEO specialists working with us “in house”. They each have their area of expertise and can handle some really intense work. There are so many ways and price points to make yourself more visible online, please ask about how our team can create even more traffic for your business. Please ask us about our, standard, partial plus, extensive and super sized SEO plans.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media – We will gladly set up social media accounts for you as well as connect them to your website. We charge a fee for the initial set up and have monthly, quarterly & yearly packages for regular Social Media Management if you'd like us to keep you up to date. We can do as much or as little as you'd like. Banners & posts, no problem, we can create custom banners & posts for you to publish yourself as well! We also provide Social Media consultation and training so please ask if you're interested in learning more!
Deposits - We require a deposit before we begin work. Usually our billing for website design is based on 1/3, 1/3 and final balance before launch. However we do have different structures for our other merchandise, please ask. We are pretty flexible and understand how much of an investment this can be, whether you’re starting a new business or updating an old site, we try to work with you. We even have payment plans for certain situations so if you feel that could be beneficial, please ask about it.
Now, if you’re reading this, then it means you're thinking of moving forward with your business or program. If you are and are also moving forward with us, thank you! When you're ready to start, please send a signed copy of the estimate if we sent one to you with your deposit. We accept most credit cards as well. Either way, you should be able to write this off for marketing as well, make sure to ask your Accountant!
So there's the big nutshell. Thank you for contacting us and we really look forward to working with you!