What is an Add-On? Our design process offers you a way to customize or extend your web site by introducing what we call "add-ons" or individual components that you can readily add to an existing web site.

How are Add-ons priced? Individually. However, all web site solutions include a certain number of pre-defined add-ons so for new web-solutions you do not need to purchase those.

Do I get a discount on bundled Add-ons? Yes, we offer discounts on purchasing multiple add-ons. Also, if you are under our maintenance plan, upgraded add-ons you already own are free and you get a life-time discount on additional add-ons as long as you remain in the maintenance program.

Are Add-ons compatible with my web site? Not necessarily. Compatibility is based on two things: database support and hosting plan. Your hosting plan must be able to support non-basic or non-standard add-ons and also certain add-ons, such as Customer Registration require SQL database support.

How do I know if I an Add-on will work with my site? Check the Add-On Catalog to determine what an add-on requires.

Will your Add-Ons work on a site you did not design? Many of them will but not all. Your best bet is to ask us about the add-on you want so that we can give you an accurate answer. Most standard add-ons will work on any web site.

What if I forget I need an add-on? Don't worry, we will point this out. For our web solutions, necessary add-ons are already included so you cannot forget them. If an add-on needs another we will let you know. For the most part, when an add-on depends on another one we will have priced it appropriately and all dependent add-ons will be included in your purchase if you do not alerady own them.

Do you develop custom add-ons? Absolutely, this is one of the things we do best. If you need an add-on that we do not have or require an extension to a web site we did not design we are glad to design a solution for you.

Are there any limitations to business or commerce web sites? Standard sites are limited in functionality. For instance, you get a shopping cart on a standard commerce solution but this cart is not integrated with electronic payment processing so you will need to use PayPal or other external processing authorities to check out the customer. Advanced and Custom sites do offer integrated payment processing among other functions.

What about transaction or user volume? Yes, this is true also although it depends more on the type of database you select. Simple or Basic database support generally limits your functionality to about 500 users, is slower to respond to transactions and will support far fewer of them. Our SQL Solutions have virtually no user or traffic limitations other than what may be imposed by your own hosting plan.

I see you offer advanced commerce sites and also extranets. What is the difference? There are several differences but two are key: First, you may want to host the extranet on your own servers as opposed to external hosting though this is a minor differentiation for us. Second, on an extranet, we offer add-ons for Customer Relationship Management and special customer support components that are optional to an advanced commerce site.

Are there cost and security differences between commercial solutions? Indeed. Consult the pricing and security sections for a lot more information on this.

Can I manage my own content? Yes, we offer fully independent solutions so that you do not depend on us if you do not want to. However, the way content is managed varies from site to site. Standard sites offer primarily HTML content and so you must use a tool to edit individual pages. We recommend tools to you that work well with our solutions. For advanced and custom sites we offer add-ons that manage the content on the site so you can edit everything from within the site itself.

I am not a technical expert, how hard is it to manage content? With our advanced and custom sites it is very simple. The site offers all you need and you do not require any expert knowledge. For standard sites, you can use something as Microsoft Word if you do not want to use technical tools or simple and intuitive editors that we recommend.

How do I move content to my new site on the web? For advanced and custom sites you do this directly on the site and you do not have to worry about moving content to the web. For standard sites, you will need to FTP your edited pages to your web site. This is a simple operation and we provided easy-to-use documentation on how to accomplish it.

What is the difference between a simple or basic and an SQL Database? For the purposes of this FAQ only the difference is like this: basic databases offer you the ability to store data within your site without requiring expensive hosting. In fact, your existing (even the cheapest) hosting plan will support simple databases. These are normally MySQL or MS-Access which means if you know how to use those products you can extend or modify your own database. Our SQL Database of choice is Microsoft SQL Server (currently in its 2005 edition at the time of writing.) This database allows strong distributed enterprise operations (such as those required by businesses) with virtually unlimited transaction and user capacity. But to host this type of database you will need to pay extra for hosting. See our hosting section for details.

Do I need a SQL Database? Not really if you do not need to store information such as comments, product data, catalogs, etc. For standard web sites a database is basically never needed. For more advanced sites you may want a simple database for a guestbook or for user comments and similar information. You only need a SQL Database if you are building a business or commercial site that requires customer information, order management, payment processing and such. Hobbyists may require an SQL Database if they perform similar functions even if they are not for profit. For instance, if you manage an astronomy club and want to show used equipment for sale or just want to keep track of an inventory of available equipment you may need an SQL database.

Do I own the database if I purchase one? Yes, you do, realizing that an SQL Database is a complex object. We offer maintenance and support for these types of sites so that you do not need to worry about maintaining the database itself. If you want to or you know how, however, you can do this yourself but be sure you know what you are doing or you could lose your database to improper maintenance. Typically we would discharge maintenance of the database to businesses that know how to do this or have IT staff.

You talk about templates. What are they? Sometimes it is difficult to define what one wants and a visual representation of what a site may end up looking like helps enormously. We offer template-based sites because you can essentially look at the end result before we build it for you and thus you can tell if you will like it or make any modifications based on what you see. We have our own templates or you can browse our templates page to access the web for additional templates. We offer completely free templates (and charge only for the construction of the site) or can work with templates you purchase yourself somewhere else.

I have my own template, can you use it as a blueprint? Yes, this is not a problem. If you already have a template just mention this and we will work with it if you want us to.

Do all sites support templates? Yes, all our sites can be templated although we may place restrictions on standard and some advanced web sites where you get the template we offer and if you want changes we will consider that custom web site development (depending on the type of changes you want and their complexity).

What about skins and themes? Our advanced and custom sites all support skins and themes and you are able to build your own skins and themes and plug them into these sites immediately. Standard sites are not skinnable because you need certain optional add-ons to theme the site.

I only want a simple web site. This seems complicated It is not complicated. You are just looking at an FAQ covering all possible kinds of web sites. Simple and individual web sites are very simple to build and manage and you can have one very quickly.

I want to build my own web site. Can you help? Perhaps surprisingly for you yes we can. The reason is we want to build web sites that require our expertise. Simple web sites that you can build yourself will always be pointed out to you and we will recommend tools and options for you at absolutely no charge.

What do I do to get a web site built? You can do various things. Contact us and let us know what you want without any further investigation (we will aid you in getting what you need) or browse this site looking for ideas and components or add-ons that may help you decide what you need. Feel free to use our no-compromise and free quotation form and we will give you accurate estimates for both cost and timing.

Exactly what is hosting? A web site must be visible to others on the Internet. To accomplish this, it must be put on a Web Server (a specialized computer on the Internet) so that others can see it and use it. Putting your web site on this special computer is called Hosting. Because these computers are expensive and require complex infrastructure they are usually owned by someone else (such as SBC, Yahoo and others) and not by you. This means you need to find someone to host your website once it is ready and you will need to pay them a fee, in addition to what you pay for building your site, to have it on the Internet. While the cost of building your web site may be a one-time cost, hosting is usually billed monthly (like Cable Television) or annually. If you want to know more about all of this please access our Articles section from our main web site where we have published information about hosting and web site publishing.

What are common hosting options? All options depend on the type of web site you need. Standard sites are the simplest and can be hosted with no database or special support for the cheapest prices (which range between free and usually under $100 per year, for simpler sites.) Unless you are a business, hosting is typically done in Shared Mode where your site is put on a server where other sites exist. This makes no difference to you, again, unless you are a business and need what is called "Dedicated" hosting so only you are placed on that server. As long as you do not need special components or database support, hosting is usually cheap. With database support hosting can start costing you upwards of $20 per month.

Can I host a site myself? Again, see our article section for answers to this question. The short answer is yes but we do not recommend it unless you truly know what you are doing.

Does Madvox Limited host my site? Exceptionally we do host sites but only custom sites for business users. We do not host standard nor most advanced sites and we never host individual or consumer sites. However, we work with you fully to find the proper hosting solution for you and we deliver hosting with your product (even though hosting is done by a partner company or someone of your choice).

Do you recommend hosting? Absolutely! All our solutions include hosting recommendations and we put your site on the hosting server as well as part of the price so you do not need to worry about talking to the hosting company if you don't want to. This is true even for the simplest of the standard sites.

What is maintenance? Most of the web sites we build require some type of maintenance although maintenance is optional in that you can do it yourself if you have the required skills. After we build a web site it may be necessary to make changes to it, you may move to a different hosting company and need to move the site, you may grow and need enhancements, you may need to keep up with new technologies, etc. We call this maintenance. Maintenance also includes Madvox Limited improvements to existing sites and upgrades so if you are under a maintenance plan with us we wil automatically notify you if we have better versions of add-ons you have already purchased and you can have those for free, among other benefits.

How is maintenance different from Support? Notice that the act of having to maintain a site is not optional but purchasing maintenance packages from us is optional if you want to or know how to maintain your site yourself. We always provide support and are here to answer your questions. Support includes giving you help with common questions, bugs and answers to typical problems (see support section for more details) while maintenance refers to changes to your site or your situation and these changes are unrelated to problems or defects.

How much does maintenance cost? We normally offer an annual maintenance package for 15% to 21% of the cost of the product depending on product types. Maintenance enhances support options for you (for instance, you are given a larger set of hours that you can talk to a developer which you do not get in standard support) and includes free product updates for the life of the product.

Do you offer different maintenance plans? Yes, we do. Standard sites typically offer no maintenance. Advanced and custom sites offer different levels of maintenance that range from technical maintenance to consulting and research. Contact us for more information on maintenance plans.

What if I do not want maintenance? You do not have to purchase a maintenance plan if you do not need or do not want one. However, if you have an advanced or custom site you will need to maintain it and you would be electing to do this by yourself. If Microsoft releases a new version of their database servers and you want to upgrade your database you would be choosing to do this yourself and that is fine if you know how to do it.

What is typically included in maintenace? A number of free development hours, enhanced technical support, telephone support, free product upgrades and technology enhancements, a number of consulting hours, etc. What is included though depends on the maintenance package you purchase. We offer bronze, silver and gold maintenance packages. Please, contact us for more information. All information about available maintenance is included with the product estimate or statement of work if you request a quotation or proceed to purchasing a product.

Do you accept different payment terms and Purchase Orders? Yes. We are happy to work with your organization on these. Please, contact us for more details.

How can you quote prices on development work? Yes, development work by its very nature is difficult to estimate and price. However, we understand that when people want a web site they want to know how much it will cost them and they want to know now so they can compare and not have to wait. We also understand that people do not want to provide personal information or quotation requests just to find out basic product prices. For those reasons we provide a standard catalog that quotes common base prices for most of our solutions. This does not necessarily mean that is what you will pay unless you order exactly the solution featured in the catalog with no extra work. But either way, the prices will be very close to the final estimate since we have been doing this for many years and can anticipate many situations. You will still receive a final pricing estimate for confirmation before you make your decision but at least our standard catalog will give you a good idea of what the costs might be and hopefully this will help you compare and budget.

Why are the Add-Ons priced individually if they are meant to be used on a site? Because some people want only add-ons, they may already have a web site. If you are looking for a web site solution though you should check the solutions themselves because many add-ons are already included and you do not need to buy them separately.

Are your listed prices final? No, they are not. They are meant as guidance. If you want customizations we will need to quote you for those customizations. It is all documented in a final estimate or statement of work that you will receive prior to agreeing to any work done. You always have the final word. Also, prices do not include annual maintenance. Maintenance is optional.

What is included in the prices listed in the Standard Catalog? Basic product or service prices. This means the cost of the product if you want it fully "as is" with no extras, no changes and no customizations. Maintenance costs which are optional, are not included. Hosting costs are not included because you may already have hosting services or may want to purchase your own separately. For a full final cost of the entire service we will provide you with a statement of work detailing the final price if and as needed or at your request. All price quotation are free. Contact us for more details.

So, outside of changes and customizations the Standard Catalog price is a good estimate. What can I expect to pay for hosting? Yes, the Standard Catalog price is an accurate estimate provided you will not require changes or customizations (but you still need confirmation from us). If you require additional add-ons then you can look up the price of those in the add-on catalog and add to the final price. If you require hosting then you have the option to purchase hosting we recommend or find your own. We recommend hosting for free so we advise you to follow our recommendations. We have no interest in hosting companies so we are neutral looking only at your interests. Hosting varies enormously depending on the type of site you require. The cheapest hosting available is free if you are prepared to put up with some advertising. Even non-free costing can be as little as $1 a month. Database hosting can cost upwards of $200 annually and extranet or commerce hosting is more expensive depending on your needs.

So the final price is composed of the development services or product and hosting. What else? That is all unless you also require a domain which we can provide for you for as little as $9 per year. Also if you are a commerce customer you may need to purchase payment processing (which can be free if you would rather pay a percentage of sales. This is the model followed by PayPal) and security certificates which can range from $99 per year to around a thousand depending on your needs. Some hosting companies offer shared SSL security included in the hosting price so you may not need to pay extra depending on who you host with.

I can see that pricing can get complicated. Do you offer help? Absolutely 100%. We list all costs for you, recommend options that adapt to your budget and list every single piece that is needed to run your web site. There are no surprises and no hidden costs.

How long does it take to get my web site? It depends on what you want. All our standard solutions are pretty much ready to go so you can have them in a matter of just a few days. Advanced solutions may take a bit longer depending on set up and configuration needs but usually you are up and running in a couple of weeks and we work with you through the process so you never wait blindly. Custom solutions really depend on what you need. We always estimate time as well as cost for you.

What about business solutions? Business solutions can take longer because they tend to be at least somewhat customized. Nevertheless, as long as your solutions are based on our add-ons we turn around the product very quickly. It is best if you contact us for accurate estimates since all cases are different and we take care to differentiate you from your competitors. We do not sell stock, look-alike sites. They are all different.

How do you manage production? All work is entered into an operational queue and prioritized. If we cannot commit to delivering a solution to you in the time frame you expect we will tell you that so that you will have the option to wait or pursue the solution with someone else. We are part of a network of partners and can recommend others that can do a great job for you. The queue is managed according to resources and customer priorities which are set at the time of the statement of work based on a number of internal and customer parameters. Maintenance work is part of this queue. Additional details are confidential but please feel free to contact us for more information. We can sign reciprocal NDAs if you need more information and we can sign your NDA as well at the time of specifying the work if required by your organization.

Does your work include Search Engine Optimization? Always! It is included in the basic package price on every solution that we offer. We do not offer separate Search Optimization services they are all part of the package.

Do you offer marketing services? No, this is a specialized function that is not part of our core competencies. We understand and build sites with marketing in mind but we do not offer our marketing services to you. Having said that, we would be glad to put you in touch with partners who provide marketing as a core competence.

What types of search do you provide? It depends on the site you need. Our standard solutions do not provide very advanced search services if at all. Our advanced and custom sites provide integrated Google search (basic site search) which specializes in content search and also dynamic database searching (like you would find at amazon.com, for instance.) There is a search add-on you can purchase separately as well but it requires advanced or custom web sites. We provide Microsoft Sharepoint Sites which use their own search engines.

Are your web sites secure? You bet! We are experts in security. We can provide any and all levels of security you desire from basic encryption services to the most advanced authentication services which use advanced PKI security certification. There is a significant difference in cost depending on your security needs. All sites provide security at least to a minimum standard level. Contact us for more information since we cannot disclose much about our security practices on a public page.

Are you saying standard sites are secure? Yes, even our standard sites are secure. Our standard sites are encrypted in code. Our advanced sites are encrypted in code and by certificates. Certificates are optional and carry additional costs.

What about user security? We offer user-level security in advanced and custom web sites. We offer secure session and forms authentication, encrypted configuration, database encryption, content encryption, privacy protection, log-on credentials authentication, CAPCHA authentication, automated denial of service defense, etc. If you purchase an advanced or custom solution from us a lot of this level of protection is part of the basic package.

What about commercial security? Our e-commerce solutions offer the same level of protection listed above plus secure shopping carts, encrypted database transactions and customer protection including Role Management, profile management, personalization management, secure log-on, secure pages, SSL, etc.

What about secured payment processing? Absolutely! Payment processing is done via certified processing authorities and is fully encrypted. Credit cards and customer information pages as well as check-out and cart pages are encrypted. Your payment processing provided always provides high-level encryption and we communicate directly with the provider using standard banking security practices. This does not apply to sites for which you do not purchase integrated payment services but then, those sites do not require the same level of sophistication and are still secure since your payment will be handled directly by the bank or an organization such as PayPal.

Do you offer product warranties? Absolutely! All our products are guaranteed against manufacturing defects. Additionally, we also offer, in many cases, a customer satisfaction guarantee. If you do not like what you bought, you can have your money back for most sites (not all)... no questions asked. We are interested only in customer satisfaction. If we were interested in making money only then we would choose a much easier business, like running a McDonalds :) We have complete passion and dedication for what we do. It is virtually unmatched, really. Please, contact us for more warranty information. All products detail warranty information through the statement of work before you make a purchasing decision.

What kinds of customer support do you offer? We offer various levels of customer support. Self-support is offered online, 24x7 through this web site. This include chats with administrators if they are available. This also includes access to our knowledgebase. For advanced and custom solutions we offered tiered support which extends basic support to include personal time, developer ticket time, and a secure area for customer self-service including access to orders, payments, features, etc. You may purchase tiered support as part of a maintenance plan which is otherwise optional.

Can I talk to you if I need to? You can. You can contact us by phone if you are on our maintenance or tiered support plans. Otherwise, we offer support by e-mail on a limited basis.

Do you support hosting or external issues? Not if you are not hosting with us. Hosting issues need to be taken up with your hosting provider. However, if you are on our maintenance or tiered support plans we may help you with those issues. Otherwise, you may access our knowledgebase for additional information.

What is the price of your support options? Self-service is free. Access to the knowledge base is also free but requires free registration. Maintenance is based on products or services purchased (see maintenance FAQ above). Tiered support is based on bronze, silver and gold packages. Contact us for detailed information on these packages. Much of the information included here is designed for guests. If you are a customer or plan to become one we will provide you with additional information if you contact us.