Questions???

So is it just for yoga teachers and therapists?

No. It's for anyone. Because I'm a yoga teacher myself, I have made ready made templates for yoga teachers and therapists. But I can create sites for anyone and everyone. If you are looking for a budget solution I may be able to adapt one of the existing templates to suit your needs rather than build one from scratch which would cost you a lot more.

What is hosting and how much does it cost?

Hosting is the storage of data on a remote server. A remote server is basically a computer just like the one you have but one that is switched on all the time and is also connected to the internet permanently. Or at least 99% of the time. And the data typically consists of html files that can be viewed by a browser. If you are given a choice of Windows or Linux then go for Linux on Apache. I also use something called a ".htaccess file" which works with Apache servers. Windows servers tend to be a bit more expensive as well.

How does that relate to you? Well, someone has to pay for that computer and that connection and its maintenance. If you want to put your files on that computer (server) then you have to pay your "host" a "hosting" fee. You are paying rent basically to accommodate your files. Typical costs will be around £30.00 for a year. There are cheaper services, but their support may not be very good or the company may go bust at any time. Their "uptime" may be very low as well. As with buying any other product, it's always good to check the quality of service and the reputation.

What is a domain or a domain name?

arupdesigns.co.uk is a domain. The domain is not the site, but merely the name. You can buy the rights to a domain name so that nobody else can use it except you. You usually hold those rights for a year or two years. You may find that the name you are looking for has already been bought and you have to think of something similar. You can buy them from a domain name seller for around £10.00 for a year.

Most hosting providers now offer domain names as part of a package. So you could get your hosting and domain name together. If it's a reputable and reliable hosting provider, that would be fine. If you want to be safe, buy your domain separately so that you hold the rights to that domain and not your hosting provider. Just in case they happen to go bust.

How long will it take to get my site up and running?

I would say about a week is the minumum. You can think of the basic template as a shell with spaces for your images and text. It depends on how many orders I currently have active and how fast you can provide me with your photographs and textual content. For a more detailed account of how the it all works see the process page.

Which payment options do you have?

I accept all forms of payment: cash, cheques (payable to Arup Sen), credit card, bank transfer and Paypal. We can discuss this further when we meet.

What is "signing off"?

This is a way of breaking a project into sections or phases. Each phase has to be approved by the client. If the client does not approve then the project cannot proceed until that phase of the project is satisfactory. The client will then "sign off" that section or phase of the project, usually via email in order to formally approve. The project then proceeds to the next section.

This does not apply to the "Basic" or "Standard" packages where the site is based on templates. This would only apply to the "Custom" package where the site is designed from the scratch. A part payment is made at each signing off just in case you decide to change your mind during the project and decide to abandon it. There is also a 10% non–refundable deposit. For more details about the contract and signing off see the full terms and conditions.

How do I edit my photos?

To reduce the cost of the "Basic" package I have offered you the chance to do the image editing yourself. You will need editing software. If you have never done this before then it may seem a bit daunting, but I can do it for you at an extra cost. You can ask an experienced friend or colleague to do it for you. Alternatively, you can have a look in the diy section for tips on how to do it yourself.

What if I want to change something?

If you are technically minded you can do it yourself. Some of my clients have done it and others feel that it is too difficult. If you want me to change something on your site, it's called an "update". Typically these will be things like changes to your timetable or retreat schedule. If you only need something updating now and again then it's better to purchase an update voucher, which will be valid until its expiry date and will allow one update.

If you need regular changes, for example once a month, then it would be better to get an update subscription. This would entail paying a monthly fee (or paid for a year in advance) and allow as many changes as required in the given subscription period.

If you want more than half of the site changed, then that would constitute what is called a "redesign." In essence, you would be scrapping your existing site and creating a new one. You would be charged for the new site and if you already have an update subscription, then it would be carried over to the new site.

Can you redesign my existing site?

Trends change and so do technologies. You have to move with the times. So if you want a more modern look to your site, then I can do that for you. You may just want to make it simpler or add more content and structure.

Can you use designs that I have created?

Yes of course. We would get together and discuss your design and see which package would best suit your needs. And I could translate your paper or digital designs for the web.

Can I have a blog on my site?

I have blog on my site, so can you. Blogging has becoming a popular extension to a website and I can certainly add this to your site. You have to check with your hosting provider that they will allow you to run software. Blogs tend to come in various shapes and sizes with different feature sets. They also have a default look about them. If you want the look or theme of the blog to be the same as your site, then I can do that as well. There is an additional cost for installing software such as blogs or shopping baskets. And a further cost to change the style or look.

How can people pay online from my site?

I can add this feature to your site so that your clients can book for classes or treatments online. You will need to register with an online payment company, and then links from that company are integrated into your site. When your client clicks the "book now" button they would be taken to the online payment company's site and then returned to your site when they are finished. The payment company would charge you a small fee to provide this service. But this is a very convenient way to do business both for you and your clients.

Do I get my own e–mail address?

Yes. In fact you can have as many as you want. I have arup@arupdesigns.co.uk, but I could also have things like admin@arupdesigns.co.uk or info@arupdesigns.co.uk and so on. You can check this address via webmail, have the message forward to your regular e–mail address or set it up in your mail client such as Outlook.

Can I have animated graphics on my site?

A reluctant yes. If you insist. I absolutely hate them and would rather not. You're probably better off asking someone else.

What is SEO?

SEO means search engine optimisation. I don't even pretend to be an expert on the subject and there are people who spend all their time on this. They get paid a lot too. It's all about being found by search engines such as google. So how does your site get higher on the list when someone searches subjects covered on your site?

Every search engine has a piece of software called a crawler or a spider that works its way around the internet and collects information. Search engine manufacturers won't give the exact details on how these bits of software work. But basically, they read the code for each page. So a big part of SEO is about arranging the code and content of the page. There are other methods too. The methods fall into two main categories, namely "white hat" and "black hat".

Black hat methods will of course incur penalties when discovered and the site using these methods can be removed from their list. So it is better to use "white hat" methods. And that's what I'll be doing. The basic package has no SEO performed, but by choosing a suitable domain name you can help things along. The other packages will have the following methods applied:

Even the basic template will have validated code and semantic html, so you're on the way. The standard templates will have the meta tags done for each page and the custom templates will have all the methods that I know applied to the site.

What about advertising?

It is up to you to decide if you want to have advertising on your site. I have created the templates with spaces to accommodate advertising banners. There is a fee for placement of advertising code into your pages, but this is a one–off fee. There is the potential to earn a regular income from your site through advertising. For more details see the advertise page.