What will we discuss during the initial consulatation?
Anyone who contacts us and is interested in our services, can schedule a 30 minute phone call with us where we can answer any questions that you may have for you to base your decision on for your website. Many clients come to us without much knowledge or ever having a website before, and we are happy to walk you through the process and show different example and options.
What is the design process for a website?
This is one of the main things discussed in the initial consultation and we talk about the details in order to get a clear picture of exactly what you want and would like to convey before an estimate is written up. Most custom brand creation and the building of the website takes an average of 4 to 6 weeks.
How much does a website or other project cost?
The price varies depending on the project size and scope of what you need. Some clients may need just a very basic site, so those would be priced lower, starting at $1500.00, and go up depending on what other additional features or content that will be built. Our prices are reasonable no matter what the project size and many people find custom branding and design to be a very worthwhile investment.
read more…
How do I update my WordPress site once it’s completed?
Once your WordPress site is completed, you have the freedom to update your site yourself, if you would like to. If the home page is animated or highly customized you probably wouldn’t be able to update it yourself without our assistance, but you will be able to log in and add content to the pages or add blog posts and share them on social media yourself. For those that are comfortable with technology, you may find that the website builder that we use is very user friendly. read more…
How do I do general maintenance on my website myself?
Once your site is created, it’s really important to keep your WordPress software, theme, and plugins up to date. It’s very easy and should only take a few minutes, but by doing so, it improves speed and performance of your website and also assists with security and preventing hackers from easily finding your site through outdated software. There are a few different ways to do this, one being through the WordPress Installatron or Softaculous inside of your hosting account, and the other is right in the WordPress dashboard. In either case, there will be very clear notifications that updates are available. read more…
What is branding and why is it important?
Biondo Studio creates websites with matching social media and printed materials for our clients, but more than that, we work with you to build a unique brand and establish credibility and professionalism. Your brand is an extension of you that consistently represents your work and your business. When we begin working with each person, we want to make sure that we understand who they are and what will work for them long term. read more…
Updating the video player on your website
Many clients have a video players on their site, and it’s a great way to have user engagement and show your work in various mediums. We have three main types of video players that we install, with two being super-easy to use, and the other being pretty easy to use with a bit of practice. Don’t forget, we’re here for updates and maintenance if you ever get stuck, but it’s always nice to have some control of adding content to your own website. read more…
Do you have a website maintenance plan and what does it include?
Yes we do! Keeping your WordPress site’s main software and theme updated regularly can help to protect against malware & viruses, plugin conflicts, outdated php, and other fun things that the average person does not need to think about. When a website is completed, we send the login information to each client and encourage them to maintain the site themselves, but for those that would rather not, we’re happy to take care of these needs for you. read more…
What technical items do I need for my website?
There are a wide variety of products available for your website and many different companies to choose from. We don’t necessarily make clients move if they’re satisfied with the company already in place for their website hosting and domain registration, and if the products are up to date. And, we can still guide you though the basics so that you purchase only what you need and at a reasonable price. Just keep in mind that it’s usually much easier and you’ll have less tech issues if you stick with one company for all of your technical needs. read more…
How do I submit the content that will be on the website?
You don’t need to be extremely tech savvy to collaborate on a website design, but good communication, keeping your info and materials organized, and the ability to submit materials is necessary. Having your content completely edited and finalized before you submit it to be put into the website is very important. read more…
Should I hire a photographer for my brand?
Stock photos are a good option to inexpensively create a look for your branding, and there are many different companies to choose from. However, lately more and more of our clients are opting to have professional photos taken and to put their own face front and center on their website. Yes, hiring a photographer is a bit more of an expense, but having a good set of branded photos of yourself is useful for many different purposes. read more…
How can I keep my website secure from hackers?
Paying attention to routine maintenance on your site is very important, and so is letting us know about any odd things about your website or weird emails. WordPress websites, and especially those with blogs, can sometimes be targeted by hackers or malware, who are looking for out of date technology. Google is requiring all websites to get an SSL certificate these days for data encryption, which is a good safeguard. It’s important to keep your WordPress software and plugins updated so that your site can benefit from the latest security updates. read more…
Do you provide web hosting or domain name registration?
We have our own online shop at biondoweb.com, a subsidiary reseller of GoDaddy products which has everything you’d ever need to get your website up and running. Usually we will create an account for the client, have them update their credit card information, and then we can purchase these items for the client to make it easier for them and so they don’t have to navigate through dull technical info. After making the purchase of a few basic items, we will sync everything up and be ready to go. read more…
Can I get matching business cards, postcards, letterhead, etc?
Yes! It’s nice to have everything match and to have a consistently branded image for all of your correspondence and marketing materials. We can lay out your design for pretty much any item that you would like it to be on. Although Biondo Studio is best known for websites, most clients have that same consistent brand on their print collateral too. read more…
What is the timeframe needed to get a website completed?
The average timeframe to design and build a website is 4 to 6 weeks. However, being a small studio, there can be a bit of a queue to get started with a new web design. After the initial consultation and the sending of the estimate, if it all looks agreeable, then the client can send a signed copy of the contract and the deposit to secure their place in the queue. We usually don’t have a wait of more than a week or two. read more…
What is a mobile-friendly site?
These days, every single website is mobile-friendly, which means that we design everything to look good no matter what sized device that it’s being viewed on. When we first started out building websites, there were only a few standard sizes for screens, then came along phones and tablets, and now we have every screen size available that you can imagine. It is our job to build the site so that it looks good, no matter what the dimensions.
read more…
Is a contact form better than a direct email button?
A contact form looks nice on a website and we will add one into any project, but by default we have decided to use a direct email button instead. We love the aesthetics of the form, but over the past few years, the final decision is that we always want to make sure that you get each and every message that comes through, as that’s the entire point of the website. The email button has very few issues, sometimes simple is best. read more…
Why does a blank image come up when I post my link on social media?
Although it seems like it should be automatic to all of us, most times when you post the URL of your website to social media, there is not an instantly generated picture that shows up. This is something that is actually an add-on to every project because it does take additional configuration, beyond the website itself. We are happy to give clients a properly sized image of their website to manually announce on social media if they would like, which may be all that’s needed for most people. read more…
Can technical issues add cost to a project?
In most cases, we expect that technology is going to have a few little hiccups along the way, and it’s part of our job and we know how to handle most issues that come along. When a client comes to us and has never had a website before, we are starting from scratch, and can set up their domains, email, hosting, SSL certificate, etc. all at one company to make life easier for all of us. read more…
How do I filter my email?
We often put contact forms into the websites that we create, as it is a way to gather specific information from people who want to contact you, and it also looks professional. Sometimes though, as we’re building the site, or setting up custom email accounts for the first time, the software that you use for your email will send mail from the contact form into either a spam folder, or another folder that’s not the primary inbox where you want to make sure it goes. It’s pretty easy to fix that by using a filter to direct incoming mail in your account. read more…
How do I get a customized email address?
There are different options when setting up a customized email address such as you@yourdomain.com that matches your site name and looks more professional than a free address. If you have your domain name, there are email plans that you can purchase to have your matching address. read more…
How can I re-connect my Instagram feed to my site?
How can I improve my SEO?
For every website we build, we automatically include basic Search Engine Optimization, which includes all Google readable text and fonts, proper heading and image tags, the installation of an SSL certificate, and mobile friendly programming. However, some clients would like more than the basic SEO, and for those people we have some suggestions to features we can add to your site. read more…
Should I have a blog on my website?
A blog is a great way to share your thoughts, promote your business and increase your SEO. The search engines favor active sites that have new and unique content. Writing informative relevant blog posts is a great way to share information and get regular followers visiting your website. Also, the more relatable content that you have on your website the more likely your search results will improve. It also helps to create an area of expertise and an interest in your brand and get back and forth traffic between your site and the outside world. read more…
Why should I register multiple domain names?
You only need one domain name to have a website, but when it comes to your business and brand, you definitely do not want to leave similar names available for copycats to register and take advantage of your search engine results or create confusion for your clients or within your industry. A strong brand is important to differentiate you, but it also helps to register every domain name iteration that you can think of. read more…
How can I create an email alias through Gmail?
When creating a simple email forward included in your purchase of a domain name or hosting account, you can have a customized email with you@yourdomain.com and you can check your email in another account such as Gmail or Yahoo or any other that you choose. Since Gmail (or Google Workspace) is the most popular, here are some instructions so that you can reply as you@yourdomain.com as well as receive. read more…
What is included in basic SEO?
Basic SEO is built into every website, with no exceptions. With each and every new site that we build, we make sure that as much text as possible is readable and we put alt and title tags on all of the images in the site. We have the ability to make any existing font into a web font and program it for readability. For a brand new site, it does take a little bit of time to get listed, but Google is becoming faster at that all of the time. read more…
Do audio demos absolutely need to be on the landing screen?
Short answer: NO. This question comes up quite a bit in the voice over community, and having a demo or two on the landing screen is definitely an option when you have a site designed by us, but there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Many of our sites have the landing screen focus just on the branding, and that’s perfectly okay too. In fact, we find that a stylish brand with clear direction on what to do and where to go, gets more response for your business. read more…
How do I stop contact form spam messages?
Unfortunately the convenience of having a website contact form, which is supposed to protect your privacy, can become an inconvenience when it’s used for spam messages. This has been happening more and more lately. Hackers attack websites in many forms, either direct or with hacker bots. They’re always looking for some type of weakness in order to exploit or to annoy. Staying on top of this type of issue is always a priority.
read more…
How do I optimize my images for use on my website?
After we finish and launch a website, we give the username and password along with some basic instructions over to our clients in case they would like to maintain their website themselves. Many people do a pretty good job, but one very important thing that many miss is optimizing images for their website before uploading them. If you’ve ever gone to a website and a page was very slow to load while either a background or other image was filtering itself in, then that means the image was not properly optimized. read more…
Is Google part of my website?
While it may appear to be part of your website, Google and other search engines are a completely separate entity. While Google products are related to your website, they are a third-party company, and probably one of the largest and most complex in the world. We do need to work with them on some things such as search engine optimization, customized Workspace email accounts, website security, Google analytics, and other such technical items. Many times it is not an easy task, but occasionally special requests will require that we engage with them, which may likely add an additional cost to the project.
read more…
What is an SSL certificate and why would i need one?
Until just a few years ago, sites that had Ecommerce ability and had forms for credit card info, etc. needed to have something called an SSL certificate on it in order to encrypt the data and keep it secure. You can see which sites do or don’t have this protection by looking at the URL bar and seeing if there’s a padlock before the address or not. Secure sites also have a prefix of “https” rather than “http.” read more…
How can social media help my website?
We recommend setting up accounts at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Linkedin to help to promote yourself and your work. Which accounts you decide to set up purely depends on you, your needs, and your audience. We can create matching social media banners for you to use for a cohesive branded look. Social media links can be added to your website and will help your visitors to keep up with you and create a flow of traffic between your website and your social media updates. More and more clients have social media feeds (particularly Instagram) embedded right into their website. read more…
Adding new audio to your players
We have a few different styles of audio players that we use for websites, and one player in particular, is very easy to update. It’s called the “tPlayer” and it’s the style that has multiple demos in one player and it’s nice and sleek looking. As always, we are available for maintenance on your website if it’s something that you’d rather not do, but if you’d like to give it a shot, here are some basic instructions that should explain pretty well. read more…
How do I add, edit, or delete a blog post?
If you have a custom blog built into your website, it’s important to keep up by writing in it. It’s essential to be consistent to attract and keep new followers and build your audience. If you enjoy writing, a blog can be a fun way to express yourself and your expertise, and to gain regular readers and visitors to your website. Not only that, but having an active blog with regular relevant content is very good for your search engine rankings. read more…
Can you help with the editing of audio or video?
While we don’t do any recording here at Biondo Studio, we can help with some other needs that you might have for audio or video. For audio, we can seamlessly edit already existing files, compile them in a new arrangement, or we can export them into a different file format. We also edit video and do a terrific job, if I may say so myself. read more…
Do you provide website updates if needed?
We are available to update sites that are created here at our studio for a $100.00 hourly rate, billed in 15 minute increments. Usually updates are made within 2 weeks of requesting them, but if it’s during the holiday season, please allow 3 to 4 weeks. as it’s an extremely busy time. Tight deadlines or short notice updates can be performed with an additional rush fee. read more…
What is the payment policy?
For larger jobs like a website, we request that a 50% deposit be paid to get started and to get the project started in the queue. Once the site is completed and launched, we send out an invoice billing for the balance. For maintenance and smaller projects, the bill is sent out at the end of each month with the due date customarily set at two weeks in the future. read more…
Which software do you work with?
There are many different website builders out there, not to mention even in WordPress itself there are countless themes available. All of our sites are created with WordPress.ORG software, which is highly customizable, mobile-friendly, and allows clients to update and maintain most of the site themselves with some simple instructions. WordPress is more in-depth than a simple blogging platform because it can accommodate an entire site on your own server, including one blog page and countless plugins for different effects and features. The version of WordPress that we use is quite a bit different than the free setup of WordPress.COM software, even if the dashboard looks similar. Confusing, I know! read more…
What is GDPR compliance?
You may or may not have heard of the GDPR compliance which went into effect on May 25, 2018. In order to cover all bases and make sure that you are being clear with your visitors about what data that you’ll be collecting from them and how it will be used, we will add a privacy policy to your site along with disclaimers near contact forms and blog comment fields making your site as close to being GDPR compliant as possible. read more…
Why isn’t my Flash animation or website coming up anymore?
Believe it or not, we still receive this question. If you have an older website that was created in Flash, you might be noticing that your default non-Flash page (index2.html will usually show up in the URL of a Flash site that we’ve designed) is showing up in place of your full Flash home page or site. We are no longer technically able to update Flash websites in any capacity.
How can I have animation on my site?
For many years, Biondo Studio was well-known for creating Adobe Flash websites and/or Flash homepages for websites. Quite a bit has changed since then with the prominence of mobile devices, that do not support Flash software. read more…
Can you offer any assistance in the voice over business?
Although we have done dozens of voice over sites over the years, we are not really part of the voice over industry ourselves. I do know a good voice when I hear one, but we stick to the branding, design and developing. We’ve worked very closely with an amazing voice over manager named Celia Siegel for a decade or two who consults with clients to figure out the best aspects of their voice and how to brand and market them to the industry. read more…
What is the best method to communicate with each other?
The initial contact is almost always through email and we will then set up a phone appointment for a free consultation. You can do this through our contact page. For international clients, long-distance conversations can be set up through Skype or Zoom. read more…
What will we discuss during the initial consulatation?
Anyone who contacts us and is interested in our services, can schedule a 30 minute phone call with us where we can answer any questions that you may have for you to base your decision on for your website. Many clients come to us without much knowledge or ever having a...
What is the design process for a website?
This is one of the main things discussed in the initial consultation and we talk about the details in order to get a clear picture of exactly what you want and would like to convey before an estimate is written up. Most custom brand creation and the building of the...
How much does a website or other project cost?
The price varies depending on the project size and scope of what you need. Some clients may need just a very basic site, so those would be priced lower, starting at $1500.00, and go up depending on what other additional features or content that will be built. Our...
How do I update my WordPress site once it’s completed?
Once your WordPress site is completed, you have the freedom to update your site yourself, if you would like to. If the home page is animated or highly customized you probably wouldn't be able to update it yourself without our assistance, but you will be able to log in...
How do I do general maintenance on my website myself?
Once your site is created, it's really important to keep your WordPress software, theme, and plugins up to date. It's very easy and should only take a few minutes, but by doing so, it improves speed and performance of your website and also assists with security and...
What is branding and why is it important?
Biondo Studio creates websites with matching social media and printed materials for our clients, but more than that, we work with you to build a unique brand and establish credibility and professionalism. Your brand is an extension of you that consistently represents...
Updating the video player on your website
Many clients have a video players on their site, and it's a great way to have user engagement and show your work in various mediums. We have three main types of video players that we install, with two being super-easy to use, and the other being pretty easy to use...
Do you have a website maintenance plan and what does it include?
Yes we do! Keeping your WordPress site’s main software and theme updated regularly can help to protect against malware & viruses, plugin conflicts, outdated php, and other fun things that the average person does not need to think about. When a website is...
What technical items do I need for my website?
There are a wide variety of products available for your website and many different companies to choose from. We don't necessarily make clients move if they're satisfied with the company already in place for their website hosting and domain registration, and if the...
How do I submit the content that will be on the website?
You don't need to be extremely tech savvy to collaborate on a website design, but good communication, keeping your info and materials organized, and the ability to submit materials is necessary. Having your content completely edited and finalized before you submit it...
Should I hire a photographer for my brand?
Stock photos are a good option to inexpensively create a look for your branding, and there are many different companies to choose from. However, lately more and more of our clients are opting to have professional photos taken and to put their own face front and center...
How can I keep my website secure from hackers?
Paying attention to routine maintenance on your site is very important, and so is letting us know about any odd things about your website or weird emails. WordPress websites, and especially those with blogs, can sometimes be targeted by hackers or malware, who are...
Do you provide web hosting or domain name registration?
We have our own online shop at biondoweb.com, a subsidiary reseller of GoDaddy products which has everything you'd ever need to get your website up and running. Usually we will create an account for the client, have them update their credit card information, and then...
Can I get matching business cards, postcards, letterhead, etc?
Yes! It's nice to have everything match and to have a consistently branded image for all of your correspondence and marketing materials. We can lay out your design for pretty much any item that you would like it to be on. Although Biondo Studio is best known for...
What is the timeframe needed to get a website completed?
The average timeframe to design and build a website is 4 to 6 weeks. However, being a small studio, there can be a bit of a queue to get started with a new web design. After the initial consultation and the sending of the estimate, if it all looks agreeable, then the...
What is a mobile-friendly site?
These days, every single website is mobile-friendly, which means that we design everything to look good no matter what sized device that it's being viewed on. When we first started out building websites, there were only a few standard sizes for screens, then came...
Is a contact form better than a direct email button?
A contact form looks nice on a website and we will add one into any project, but by default we have decided to use a direct email button instead. We love the aesthetics of the form, but over the past few years, the final decision is that we always want to make sure...
Why does a blank image come up when I post my link on social media?
Although it seems like it should be automatic to all of us, most times when you post the URL of your website to social media, there is not an instantly generated picture that shows up. This is something that is actually an add-on to every project because it does take...
Can technical issues add cost to a project?
In most cases, we expect that technology is going to have a few little hiccups along the way, and it's part of our job and we know how to handle most issues that come along. When a client comes to us and has never had a website before, we are starting from scratch,...
How do I filter my email?
We often put contact forms into the websites that we create, as it is a way to gather specific information from people who want to contact you, and it also looks professional. Sometimes though, as we're building the site, or setting up custom email accounts for the...
How do I get a customized email address?
There are different options when setting up a customized email address such as you@yourdomain.com that matches your site name and looks more professional than a free address. If you have your domain name, there are email plans that you can purchase to have your...
How can I re-connect my Instagram feed to my site?
More and more clients are requesting that social media feeds be embedded into their website. The most common is Instagram, but Twitter and Facebook and a few others can be embedded also. This is not difficult to do, and we usually have our own Instagram account...
How can I improve my SEO?
For every website we build, we automatically include basic Search Engine Optimization, which includes all Google readable text and fonts, proper heading and image tags, the installation of an SSL certificate, and mobile friendly programming. However, some clients...
Should I have a blog on my website?
A blog is a great way to share your thoughts, promote your business and increase your SEO. The search engines favor active sites that have new and unique content. Writing informative relevant blog posts is a great way to share information and get regular followers...
Why should I register multiple domain names?
You only need one domain name to have a website, but when it comes to your business and brand, you definitely do not want to leave similar names available for copycats to register and take advantage of your search engine results or create confusion for your clients or...
How can I create an email alias through Gmail?
When creating a simple email forward included in your purchase of a domain name or hosting account, you can have a customized email with you@yourdomain.com and you can check your email in another account such as Gmail or Yahoo or any other that you choose. Since Gmail...
What is included in basic SEO?
Basic SEO is built into every website, with no exceptions. With each and every new site that we build, we make sure that as much text as possible is readable and we put alt and title tags on all of the images in the site. We have the ability to make any existing font...
Do audio demos absolutely need to be on the landing screen?
Short answer: NO. This question comes up quite a bit in the voice over community, and having a demo or two on the landing screen is definitely an option when you have a site designed by us, but there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Many of our sites have...
How do I stop contact form spam messages?
Unfortunately the convenience of having a website contact form, which is supposed to protect your privacy, can become an inconvenience when it's used for spam messages. This has been happening more and more lately. Hackers attack websites in many forms, either direct...
How do I optimize my images for use on my website?
After we finish and launch a website, we give the username and password along with some basic instructions over to our clients in case they would like to maintain their website themselves. Many people do a pretty good job, but one very important thing that many miss...
Is Google part of my website?
While it may appear to be part of your website, Google and other search engines are a completely separate entity. While Google products are related to your website, they are a third-party company, and probably one of the largest and most complex in the world. We do...
What is an SSL certificate and why would i need one?
Until just a few years ago, sites that had Ecommerce ability and had forms for credit card info, etc. needed to have something called an SSL certificate on it in order to encrypt the data and keep it secure. You can see which sites do or don't have this protection by...
How can social media help my website?
We recommend setting up accounts at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Linkedin to help to promote yourself and your work. Which accounts you decide to set up purely depends on you, your needs, and your audience. We can create matching social media banners for you to...
Adding new audio to your players
We have a few different styles of audio players that we use for websites, and one player in particular, is very easy to update. It's called the "tPlayer" and it's the style that has multiple demos in one player and it's nice and sleek looking. As always, we are...
How do I add, edit, or delete a blog post?
If you have a custom blog built into your website, it's important to keep up by writing in it. It's essential to be consistent to attract and keep new followers and build your audience. If you enjoy writing, a blog can be a fun way to express yourself and your...
Can you help with the editing of audio or video?
While we don't do any recording here at Biondo Studio, we can help with some other needs that you might have for audio or video. For audio, we can seamlessly edit already existing files, compile them in a new arrangement, or we can export them into a different file...
Do you provide website updates if needed?
We are available to update sites that are created here at our studio for a $100.00 hourly rate, billed in 15 minute increments. Usually updates are made within 2 weeks of requesting them, but if it's during the holiday season, please allow 3 to 4 weeks. as it's an...
What is the payment policy?
For larger jobs like a website, we request that a 50% deposit be paid to get started and to get the project started in the queue. Once the site is completed and launched, we send out an invoice billing for the balance. For maintenance and smaller projects, the bill is...
Which software do you work with?
There are many different website builders out there, not to mention even in WordPress itself there are countless themes available. All of our sites are created with WordPress.ORG software, which is highly customizable, mobile-friendly, and allows clients to update and...
What is GDPR compliance?
You may or may not have heard of the GDPR compliance which went into effect on May 25, 2018. In order to cover all bases and make sure that you are being clear with your visitors about what data that you'll be collecting from them and how it will be used, we will add...
Why isn’t my Flash animation or website coming up anymore?
Believe it or not, we still receive this question. If you have an older website that was created in Flash, you might be noticing that your default non-Flash page (index2.html will usually show up in the URL of a Flash site that we've designed) is showing up in place...
How can I have animation on my site?
For many years, Biondo Studio was well-known for creating Adobe Flash websites and/or Flash homepages for websites. Quite a bit has changed since then with the prominence of mobile devices, that do not support Flash software. For those clients who do want animation on...
Can you offer any assistance in the voice over business?
Although we have done dozens of voice over sites over the years, we are not really part of the voice over industry ourselves. I do know a good voice when I hear one, but we stick to the branding, design and developing. We've worked very closely with an amazing voice...
What is the best method to communicate with each other?
The initial contact is almost always through email and we will then set up a phone appointment for a free consultation. You can do this through our contact page. For international clients, long-distance conversations can be set up through Skype or Zoom. Once we are...