Has this happened at your house?  It is Christmas morning and after your child gleefully tears open a present, finding their much anticipated toy inside, they are disappointed because the batteries were not included. What usually ensues is a mad dash around the house as everyone searches for the right battery, followed by a trip to the store which may or may not be open on Christmas morning.

Regardless of how the battery is ultimately found, the chaos and the time between opening the box and eventually turning on the toy diminishes the enjoyment of that first moment of play.  This could have easily been avoided if someone had simply checked to see if batteries were included in the box.

The same is true for many websites.  The eagerly anticipated launch date arrives and suddenly there are questions. What about the SEO or social media links and profiles?  Why is there still Greek text on some of the interior pages?  Much like the batteries, these issue arise because there isn’t clear understanding of what is included in the web design fee.

If you are getting ready for a web redesign, be sure to read the fine print to understand what is or isn’t included. Don’t assume because it was included last time it will automatically come with this design as well. Just like the floor mats in your car, which some auto manufacturers include at no cost and others charge for, different web design firms have different standard packages.

Carefully compare quote details. If one company has a price significantly lower than another, it may be a bargain, or it maybe stripped down version of what you really need. In the long run, you may pay more to add all the feature you need to a bare-bones package.

Avoid the chaos when you know what’s included and who will be responsible for each of the following:

Domain name and hosting: Who owns the domain name? Where will the website’s files be hosted?

Content production: Who will write the text for all the pages. Where will the images come from? If stock photography is required, who pays for the image?

Basic SEO services: This includes key word research, creation of unique titles, descriptions and meta data for each page.

Website marketing: You need a plan to drive traffic to your new website. Setup Google My Business, promote your site on social media,

Website Training:  Will you be taught how to make changes to your site?

Maintenance and updates: What are the charges for ongoing support and updates?

None of these questions are deal breakers. You just need to know, before you