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Frequently Asked Questions

I don't have a website. Do I really need one?

Yes. People increasingly expect to find quality information about all types of businesses and not-for-profits online. You are at a competitive disadvantage without an attractive and usable site. See our article on Ten Business Reasons to Build a Website for more details.

Can we use your services before we are ready to build a website?

Yes. We are happy to talk with you and ensure that you are on the right track. You may also be interested in reading one of our newsletter articles: Don't Start Your Website Project Without These Answers.

How much does it cost to develop a website?

Each website project has individual requirements that determine the price. However, to give you a ballpark number, we typically build 6-page websites for $2500. (See our Website Management page for a list of what's included.) Prices naturally go up along with additional content and other requirements. We provide fixed-price proposals for all website construction projects. To request a free no-obligation consultation for a quote, contact us.

How long does it take to build a website?

It can vary a lot, but a typical 6-page website, for example, will probably take a month, with a couple of weeks determining the site's pages and writing the content and another couple of weeks in design and development.  Larger sites and special features increase the time required. All our quotes include a time estimate.

Couldn't I save a lot of money by building a website myself using one of those do-it-yourself programs?

Yes you can. However, while technology has made the mechanics of building a website easier, developing an effective website is still quite difficult. Several of our clients have do-it-yourself sites that we have helped in either the design or content areas. More information on the pros and cons of doing it yourself is available in our newsletter article: Help for Do-It-Yourself Web Owners.

I know someone who will build a website for me for $500. Why should I spend more for Crystal Point Consulting?

Just look around the web. Sites abound that don’t make sense, frustrate visitors, and sabotage sales. These websites were developed by people without the knowledge or ability to maximize website effectiveness. You may also want to review our collection of Website Horror Stories. Take care to avoid being added to the list.

A friend of mine has a site that's pretty bad. Can you help them?

We'd be happy to. Friends don't let friends have bad websites. or drop them a not-too-subtle hint by giving them our article: The Worst Website Mistakes.

Are you a website design firm?

Not really. We do basic, professional designs for businesses, but for anything fancier or more complex, we build websites from a design like those on Template Monster or have our partners at O'Connor Design create a custom design. You can also supply your own design for us to build. (Full disclosure: we are an affiliate of TemplateMonster.)

I want to keep my current website developer(s). Can I still use your services?

Yes. You can purchase our website analysis or testing services or a presentation or training seminar for your development team that will provide them with the information needed to improve your site.

I've got a larger website project in mind. Is your firm big enough to handle it?

We have relationships with a number of trusted partners that team up on larger projects. With our project management expertise, we can deploy the resources needed to get your project completed successfully.

What program do you use to build websites?

We are fluent in both of the most popular website development platforms in use today: Microsoft FrontPage and Macromedia Dreamweaver. We have also built websites within self-contained content management systems, like Joomla. Just like a carpenter, we choose the best tool for each individual job.

See our software page for more about the tools we use.

Do you provide website hosting services?

No. Quality hosting requires specially-trained staff to secure and maintain web servers 24/7/365. Instead, we recommend award-winning hosting businesses, like Westhost, to our customers. (Full disclosure: we are an affiliate of WestHost.)

What maintenance options do you provide?

Some of our customers prefer to update their own websites. In those cases, we provide training and support to make it happen. Other customers prefer to have us maintain their websites. See Services > Website Management > Timely Updates for more details.

How can the people in my group learn more about building effective websites?

We provide a variety of presentations and seminars tailored to general audiences, business owners, and technical groups.

How do you ensure quality on your website development projects?

Before we publish a website, we test it against our exclusive 24-point checklist to verify that everything works as intended.

What program should I use to send an email newsletter?

We recommend iContact as an email service provider. They provide an easy and powerful system for not only newsletters, but also surveys, blogs, autoresponders, and RSS feeds. They also have a great set of tracking tools so you can gauge the success of your campaign. (Full disclosure: we are an affiliate of iContact.) 

What geographic area do you serve?

We are not limited by geography. Although we are located in the greater Chicago area, we have clients from the east to the west coast of the U.S. We conduct many services by phone and internet and we can also travel to your location if need be.

What types of payment do you accept?

We accept checks made payable to Crystal Point Consulting. Payment terms vary based on the type of service delivered, but all services are backed with a 100% money-back guarantee.

Can I republish one of your articles? 

Our articles may be republished in their entirety if and only if the following attribution is included. Please send us an email, telling us where the article is being published. You can also download a web-quality or a print-quality photo to go along with an article from our About Us page.

Crystal Jurczynski helps businesses gain a competitive edge through their websites. To learn more, sign up for the Make Your Point newsletter or take advantage of the other resources available at www.CrystalPointConsulting.com.

Can I link to your site?

Please do. Linking is the power of the web. You can use the text above or something like:

Crystal Point Consulting helps businesses turn website browsers into buyers.

We appreciate an email, letting us know what type of site you have and why you are linking to us.

My question is not in this list. How can I get an answer?

Contact us and we'll be happy to address your website dilemma.