Frequently Asked Questions
General
What services does Lincoln Collective offer?
I provide website design, UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) design, and web development services. My expertise extends to platforms such as Shopify and WordPress.
Are there unique features or benefits that set your services apart?
Yes, Lincoln Collective stands out for its personalised approach, attention to detail, and a commitment to helping smaller brands establish a strong and unique online presence.
If I don't live in Cape Town, can you still design a website for me?
Yes, I would be happy to help. Modern technology makes this possible, I have a few clients I have never met face-to-face.
What payment methods do you accept?
I accept payment by credit card, PayPal, Instant EFT and bank transfer.
Ownership
The project, once complete and paid for in full is fully owned by you. I reserve the right to use your website/design or illustration in my portfolio. You can request permission for us not to display your project in my portfolio.
What is the process, when it comes to building a website?
You can read up about our design/development process on the blog.
What about amendments to the brief?
We know that sometimes you or your client want a last-minute change and we will always do our absolute best to accommodate any changes that are required. Amendments to the brief will have a cost attached to them if they are going to take any more than 15 minutes in total to change. The cost will be at our typical hourly rate.
Web Development
How Long Does It Take To Create A Website?
Custom Website can take anywhere between 1- 4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the site and the number of revisions needed. The development of the website can take a further 1- 6 weeks, depending on functionality and the number of pages. These are general guidelines and we will make an effort to meet the timeframe you have in mind.
How Many Changes Can I Make To My Site Without Additional Cost?
I try to give as much freedom as possible. After you’ve identified the general format and colour schemes of your preferred design, we’ll complete up to 2 rounds of major revisions at no charge. All minor revisions are provided at no charge.
When Is Payment Required For Your Web Site Design And Development Services?
For small projects, 40% of the estimated fee must be provided prior to beginning work, with the remaining payment due upon completion of the project. For larger projects, an initial payment representing one-third of the estimated total fee is required. The second payment is required upon the halfway point, with the final third due upon completion of the project.
Will my website work on Internet Explorer?
We will not build websites that are compatible with IE11 or below. You can read more about that on our blog.
Can I See My Website While It's In Progress?
Absolutely! In fact, we encourage it. We build your website on our development server and provide you with a username and password so that you can log in and monitor the progress of your site. During this phase, we encourage your feedback if something isn’t quite the way you envisioned it or if you’ve changed your mind. Once your site is ready and you have provided your approval, we release it live on your server and submit your URL to the major search engines.
Are Any Other Services Included In Your Web Design And Development Costs?
Yes. Basic SEO includes submission of your site to the major search engines, and the setup of your primary meta tag information (Page Title, Description, and Keywords).
I Need Some Changes On My Website Or Template. Do You Provide That Service?
Yes! For one-time changes, I will provide you with an estimate before beginning the work and charge at our standard hourly rate. If you anticipate regular needs for maintenance, one of our Ongoing Maintenance Plans may be more cost-effective for you.
What browsers do you support?
We support the latest versions of the key browsers and our sites are tested in the latest versions of Firefox, Safari, Opera & Chrome on Mac and PC. We don’t support Internet Explorer version 11 and Edge. Mobile browsers are also tested for IOS and Android. Please let us know if you would like any other browsers tested and we will factor this into the proposal cost.
E-commerce
Is An SSL For A Domain Name Also Valid For Its Sub-Domains?
No, unless you get a wildcard certificate, the SSL certificate is only valid for the exact domain or sub-domain that you registered it for. If you require an SSL for a sub-domain, keep in mind that the sub-domain has to be on a dedicated IP address.
What is better Woocommerce or Shopify?
I have outlined some of the differences between Woocommerce and Shopify, on the blog.
I'm Only Selling A Few Products. Can You Set Me Up With PayPal/other payment Gateway?
Yes. If you only have a handful of products, you can use PayPal for payment processing. It is recommended to use a payment gateway such as Payfast in South Africa. There are many other payment gateway options for various different currencies.
Do you need an SSL certificate for my website?
If you have a standard site an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate is not a must but is recommended. On the other hand, if you are running a commerce website, it is a must. If you don’t have a domain and hosting already, we recommend Xneelo or Siteground. Xneelo & Siteground offer SSL certificates standard with their hosting and also have great customer support.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
How Important Is It To Optimise My Web Site For Search Engines?
If you want to use your website to grow your business, then it is advisable to ensure your site is properly optimised. More than 80% of all Internet users use search to find what they need online. Why hide from potential customers?
What Are Search Engine Spiders?
Search engine spiders (also called “crawlers” or “bots”) are programs that browse the Internet for web pages. They index and rank each page they find, based on the subject matter and a number of other factors. The spiders work on unique algorithms programmed by software engineers for the various engines.
Are Keywords In Domain Names Important?
Yes, keywords in a domain name are taken into consideration by search engines. I don’t know exactly how much of a factor this is in determining search rank, but we know that keywords in a domain name are not weighed nearly as heavily as the keywords in your title tags and page content.
Will I Have To Redo My Entire Website To Make It Search Engine Optimised?
There are many levels of search engine optimisation, and much will depend on how your site was originally built. Changing the site’s architecture is usually the most involved alteration. However, there are many other items on your site that can be modified more easily and quickly.
What Is Black Hat SEO?
Many websites use “black hat” techniques in an attempt to trick search engines for better results. These techniques include page cloaking, link farms, duplicate content, keyword spamming and many others. These methods may work temporarily, but search engines are getting more sophisticated. Eventually, your site will be penalised or banned altogether.
Is It Wise To Use Hyphens In Domain Names?
Hyphens may help search engines more easily parse long domain names for keywords, but it’s better to just shorten your potential domain name before opting for hyphens. The difference that hyphens make in search engines is minimal at best. Most engines will still parse the keywords in the domain name regardless of the presence of hyphens.
Shopify
What do I need to start selling on Shopify?
To start selling on Shopify, you’ll need a Shopify plan and products to sell.
Get started by signing up for Shopify. Then set up your store and add your products. If you don’t have products to sell yet, dropshipping might be a good option for you.
What is better Woocommerce or Shopify?
I have outlined some of the differences between Woocommerce and Shopify, on the blog.
What is a third-party payment processor?
A third-party payment processor (also known as a payment provider or payment gateway) lets you accept online payments.
What currencies does Shopify work with?
You can sell and accept payments in many currencies, depending on what payment provider (also known as third-party payment processors or payment gateways) you use.
Is Shopify right for me?
I believe Shopify is one of the best solutions for e-commerce. You can read up about, why I think Shopify is the right choice on the blog.
What is a merchant account?
A merchant account is an account where your money is deposited after your customers’ payments have been authorized and processed.
WordPress
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) used to build and manage websites. It was first released in 2003 as a blogging platform and has since evolved into a powerful CMS that powers over 40% of all websites on the internet.
What is a WordPress retainer model?
Building a reliable and scalable web platform is not a one-off project. A retainer model is a form of long-term WordPress partnership which allows you to allocate monthly activities related to WordPress consultancy and troubleshooting, web development, scalability, performance optimization, security, marketing and business consulting, and more.
What do you need to start working?
To start work I require all design assets as either PSDs or Sketch files, a technical specification of the pages that the site requires, payment of our initial invoice and an agreement to proceed. Further to this, I will also sign any pre-defined documentation such as NDAs and contracts.
Can WordPress handle high-traffic websites?
Yes, WordPress can handle high-traffic websites with the right hosting and optimization. There are several hosting providers that specialize in WordPress hosting and offer features like caching and CDN to improve website performance.
Is WordPress SEO-friendly?
Yes, WordPress is SEO-friendly and has built-in features that can help improve your website’s search engine rankings. Additionally, several SEO plugins available for WordPress, like Yoast SEO, can help optimize your website for search engines.
What are themes and plugins?
Themes are pre-designed templates that determine the look and layout of your website. Plugins, on the other hand, are add-ons that extend the functionality of your website. There are thousands of free and premium themes and plugins available for WordPress, which can be used to customize your website to your liking.
Is WordPress secure?
WordPress is a secure platform, but like any other CMS, it can be vulnerable to security threats. However, you can take steps to secure your WordPress website by keeping your software up-to-date, using strong passwords, and using security plugins.
