Content

Your website includes two major components. Design and Content. Design consists of the overall layout, colors and organization of graphics and text. Content, on the other hand, is made up of the physical items of graphics and text. My job is to put together these two components which are largely provided by you. Together we will come up with the design so that I can put it all together into a finished product.

Security

The information, documents and communication associated with your website must be considered public information as they are to be used for public display on the internet. If there is any information or communication which you feel is propriatary, priveledged or private and not to be considered public, it is your responsibility to advise me of each instance.

Ownership

All of the content and webpages that go into making your website belong to you. At least it becomes yours once you have paid for construction. Although your content and pages may be located on a server of my choosing, ownership of that information belongs to you and you are entitled to access it any time you wish. There are no propriatary or reserved documents, pages or graphics. Your website may be moved to any server you choose without loss of functionality.

Colaboraton

Building and maintaining a website is something we do together. I am the carpenter building this new house. I do not have the resources or the knowledge of your business necessary to make the decisions with regard to all of the text and pictures and layout of your website. I have many tools at my disposal that are used to organize the content, but I need your constant assistance in order to come up with a final product. It is necessary for you to be diligent with regard to this colaboration in order that I can be efficient.

The Process

Sites designed and maintained by WintersNet are generally served by Network Solutions. This is a very reputable, reliable and respected company that specializes is web hosting and domain name registration. It is not manditory that your domain be registered at Network Solutions, but it is preferable as control is important. Using the Network Solutions hosting services is necessary for the same reason...control. They are providing a secure server and the necessary tools for an internet presence. They are always there and your information is safe. An emergency backup copy of your content and documents is generally maintained by me.

Most of the content for your website will come from you. You will need to provide me with graphics and text and as many ideas as you can come up with so that I know what you want your site to look like. Links from other websites, colors and general layout ideas will be needed so that I can come up with the site that looks and functions as you wish. The more you can feed me the better our success. Purchasing a website template can be a good idea as it can be a significant time saver for both of us. When you buy a template you are buying an organized layout with artwork included. It's like buying a kit to build a house...a lot of work still remains but you don't have to go shopping except for the things to put into it. Considering both of our schedules the construction process should be completed within a couple of weeks if we're dealing with a standard presentation website. An interactive website can take longer and the time required will depend on the complexity involved.

All websites are built in stages and pages are published on the web for your inspection and approval throughout the construction process. This is an important part of the colaborative process and revisions will likely be necessary many times. This is expected. Manipulating a page until it meets your approval is an important part of the process. When we have determined that the construction process is finished we will decide on the necessity and cost of maintenance. In some cases, this will required a monthly fee and for others maintenance will be on an as needed basis.

After construction is completed, if you wish to move your site to another server or have someone other than WintersNet provide maintenance, this is entirely up to you and completely within your rights as owner. All sites are built using standard internet languages and protocols and all pages are easily read and maintained by knowledgeable technicians.