I thought I’d take a few moments to walk through the request a quote form to help answer any questions visitors may have while looking for web design services.

The request a quote form is located on the contact page.

Why do I ask potential clients to fill out this form? This helps me get an idea of the project and get several basic questions out of the way in the first email so subsequent emails can contain more of the nitty gritty of your actual web design needs. This helps to ensure that I understand the scope of your project and answers many of the common questions clients have when they first approach Web Savvy Mama for a web design.

*Website Address/Domain – This lets me know whether or not you have already purchased a web domain and if you already have a site started and what phase it is in.

*Type of web site (personal, business/e-commerce, informational) – Knowing what the intended purpose of the site will be for helps me decide what kinds of services you may need and what design package my fit you best.

*Design Package – I have a Package Matrix already in place to help clients pick from pre-fabricated packages and get an idea of the base price of their design before getting a quote. If you don’t know what package you’d fit into that’s fine too! I’ll be doing a post on the Package Matrix as well for more information.

*For e-commerce sites (not e-commerce, need a cart, have a cart. If have cart please list cart.) – Most small businesses want some sort of cart to sell products. It helps me to know which cart the client is interested in using or already has installed. There is an additional fee when working on some carts, while others are already built into my package matrix. Knowing what cart you are using helps me give you an accurate cart or suggest a cart that will fit your needs.

*Logo (I have a logo, do not have but want, do not need) – Now this is where most the questions come in! I generally do a followup email with more specific questions if a client is asking for a logo. If you know what you are looking for then feel free to add that information. Already have a logo to work with? Great, let me know that as well.

*Colors – We all have our favorites! If you are not sure about a color palette I can help you there as well.

*Total pages anticipated – This mostly applies to non-cart sites, aka straight HTML sites. This can also apply to sites where the client would like me to load the content for them. If you just want a site design integrated onto a cart or blog, then you can usually ignore this question.

*How internet/HTML savvy are you? (none, some, very) – Have you used online editors before? Can you code from scratch? Are you familiar with FTP? If you just said “Huh? What are you talking about?” Then you can answer none here. Some clients are pretty web savvy and just need a template to integrate themselves, others need my help with integration. This just helps me figure out what level of web design you are going to need and makes sure I provide you with the best setup that will meet your needs.

*Website examples you’d like to show me? – Now we’re talking. I’m sure you’ve seen sites and said, “Wow, that’s so my style!” Or parts of a web site that you really clicked with, perhaps the layout or navigation. Maybe you saw a site that you know you DON’T want yours to mimic in layout or style. Let me know! I’ll take your preferences and work my magic into a design that’s truly you!

*Do you need any of the following services? (yes/no)
*Banner? – These are advertising banners displayed on web sites.
*Extra Graphics? – Things like catalog buttons, or photo editing that may not be included in some packages.
*Blog? – Want a matching WordPress blog integrated?

*Anything else I should know? – If you want to share more details about your project, stick them here.

*How did you hear about Web Savvy Mama? I like to know how my clients are finding me. Another site? Google? This helps me see where I need to work and what is working for my site as far as SEO!

Above all, if you have questions, ASK! There are never any bad questions.

July 2009