We've designed and built many websites for clients and we get asked many questions about the service we provide and also some of the more technical aspects that go on behind the scenes. To help you with your own decision making we've prepared a list of frequently asked questions. The answers provided are Rocketspark specific answers for when we used to design websites as our Professional Package website design service. The questions are good questions to be asked of your web company before starting a new website project.
Rocketspark also has a great network of design partners who can provide website design services for you. Connect with us on our web design packages page to find a suitable web design partner.
How long (approx) will it take to design and build the website?
A typical website project will take 4-6 weeks but the timeframe is often set by the client through how quickly content is provided to the designer and the speed of providing feedback on designs and revisions.
Will they use a template or will the site design be bespoke?
With design packages, the site design is likely to include bespoke designed elements that are not contained in any other template. However, Rocketspark’s templates are very customisable right out of the box so once you have your colour scheme, content and layout added you can have a very unique looking website.
Will I own the design and IP rights of my website?
Yes, you would have IP rights for the website design. As the code for our website software belongs to Rocketspark, you would only own the IP rights for the design, not the entire website code.
Will the website be easy to view on mobile devices?
Yes. Definitely. We have a really nice mobile solution and any updates you make to your website content in future will automatically appear on mobile too. See more information about Rocketspark mobile responsive websites.
Will I have to add content to my new website before it goes live or will you do it?
With a design package your designer will add all of the content to the pages of your website for you. If they're designing an online shop website for you, you may need to add your products to the shop yourself but we’ll explain what to do and we have a step by step user guide.
If you are using our DIY service you would add all of your own content.
What work do I have to do before going live?
- Submit a design brief using the Rocketspark design brief tool.
- Provide your logo, text content for the website, photos and videos. Professionally written copy and professional photographs help with making a website more effective. We can recommend copywriters and photographers to assist you with this.
How many pages can I have?
For a site designed by a Rocketspark Design Partner, a quote will be provided for the number of pages your site requires.
There is no limit to the number of pages the website can have but if the site is being designed for you there will be a fixed number of pages included and then a per-page price for additional pages.
What level of SEO work does each package include and will you advise on copy for the site for SEO purposes?
This will be dependant on what is agreed with your designer, with most packages this will be included or be an added extra that you can request.
If you’d like to learn more about SEO see our Rocketspark SEO guide.
Do you host the website yourself?
Yes, we host all clients websites so we can launch updates and new features to you. It’s also much more efficient for website maintenance.
Where will my website be hosted?
Rocketspark has extremely high-quality website hosting in NZ, Australia and the UK.
Do you back up my website?
Yes, we do a daily backup to multiple places as well as keeping 7 days of daily backups.
Will my website work well on all web browsers?
All of the major browsers are supported by Rocketspark. We’ve written a blog post on this topic which explains why browser compatibility is important and which browsers we support.
What are the hosting costs, other charges and what does that include?
Rocketspark’s pricing is a really simple subscription that’s more than just hosting. It includes the essential maintenance and security updates of your website platform.
Check out Rocketspark pricing at www.rocketspark.com/pricing
Can I have more than one domain name?
Yes, you can have more than one domain name linked to your website. See this guide about whether to have more than one domain name and whether additional domain names will help your search rankings.
How will I manage the website content after it goes live?
You will be able to update your website using the Rocketspark content management system. Rocketspark is very easy to use. We have user guides for the features and you can contact us if you are stuck. See our user guides here: www.rocketspark.com/support.
Are training and support included?
We provide support at no extra cost. As we have support team members in New Zealand that work in different time zones we are often able to provide almost round the clock email support 5 days a week.
For DIY websites we have help guides and you can contact our customer support team.
Our system is so easy to use it rarely requires training. Most users take to it like a duck to water. We also have helpful step by step guides to help you through the process. See out user guides here: www.rocketspark.com/support.
What maintenance support do you provide e.g. security and browser updates?
Rocketspark maintains security and we update your website for new browser versions.
If I transfer my domain name to Rocketspark, will I still be the owner?
Yes, you would be listed as the “registrant” which means you’re the owner of the domain. Some web companies list themselves as the registrant and refuse to release a domain name if a client leaves them. You won’t have that worry with Rocketspark. We’ll list you as the registrant for the domain name and you can transfer your domain away at any time. Rocketspark will be listed as the billing and technical contact and will renew and pay for the domain on your behalf, taking away all the hassle of managing your own domain name.
https://www.rocketspark.com/blog/dont-buy-your-own-domain-nameget-your-web-company-do-it-you/
https://www.rocketspark.com/blog/who-owns-domain-domain-ownership-disputes/
Can I host my own domain name and still have my website with Rocketspark?
Yes. If you would prefer to host your own domain name we can advise you of the DNS settings and A record IP address for you to set up but it’s much simpler for you if we manage the domain name for you.
Do I have to have my email accounts with Rocketspark?
No, you can have your email accounts hosted elsewhere and have your website with Rocketspark. If we are hosting your domain name, you would need to supply us with the MX records for your email service.
Do you create wireframes first?
You can request that your designer create a wireframe, however, our designers usually have a process that they work through so that it is more efficient to get straight through to designing. The other problem with wireframes is that although designers can envision the potential of them, for non-designers it can be difficult to imagine the potential of a wireframe that is a bunch of grey boxes, no colour, no photographs etc.