Bits and Pieces
- Contact Me
- FAQs
- Brief Bio
- Resume
Contact Me
I always encourage and welcome your questions and comments. Use the form below to email me directly or contact me by phone or mail. RJ Jacob Media and Web Design ~ 29 Scottsdale Circle ~ Branson West, MO ~ 65737 ~ 417-337-3514
Some Frequently Asked Questions and Their Answers
I get a lot of questions about my services. Most of my prospective clients want to know (understandably) how much a specific project will cost. I field the most questions about web design and development. There seems to be a lot of mystery about this. Hopefully, this Q & A page can answer most of your questions about the services I do provide.
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Print Design Service Questions
- What do you charge for your graphic layout (print media) services?
- I charge a first hour fee of $65 and then $35 per hour after that. I can quote a firm price on a project if necessary.
- How much do you charge for a brochure?
- The amount it costs to have me design a brochure can range anywhere from $100 to $1000. The amount charged depends on a number of issues, including whether or not I’m creating the content as well as the design, how involved I might be with photography for the piece, whether or not I need to come up with an idea or slogan for the piece, and so on. Generally speaking, if I have content and photos supplied to me and a concept for the brochure has been developed, I can usually have the design done for about $300.
- How do you handle printing?
- I usually supply the “camera ready art” to the printer in a form he/she requests. This is after the client looks over the “proof” (final version) and approves it.
- I don’t really have a printer. Can you suggest one?
- Yes, I have printers I can use and can either include their fees in my bid/quote or supply the artwork to them in your behalf - you, of course would pay their bill directly.
- Do you do business card and stationery design?
- Yes, and I can also develop a logo if necessary.
- How are you paid for a print design project?
- For a one-time service, if it's a small project such as a brochure or business cards, something of this nature, I just send a bill when I'm done. For a larger project say, one which will cost $1000 or more, I would want a deposit of about 30% to get started and then I would bill the rest when the piece was done. For an on-going client relationship, I bill monthly, net 30.
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Website Design Questions
- How much does a website cost?
- I get this question a great deal. It’s tough to answer because there are so many variables involved, but I’ll try my best to give you some idea of what costs are involved.
- Basic “Brochure” Website: This is a very simple kind of site that primarily gives your business a web presence but not much else. Visitors to your site get an idea about who you are, what you do and so forth. There is very little interaction with the site except perhaps a “Contact Us” page with a form to email questions. There are very few pages associated with this kind of site. The site you are currently visiting is essentially a “brochure” site. I kept it simple on purpose. Like the example of a print brochure above, how much this kind of site would cost would be heavily dependent upon how much and what kind of content is supplied to me and how much I have to come up with myself. For a site like this it would cost somewhere between $500 and $2500. I know that’s a broad range but the time it takes really depends upon how much content I have to create. Getting the content online in the form of web pages is only half the battle. Coming up with content is the other half.
- Dynamic Website: This is more complex and requires more time programming the content which is displayed or developing the database and system by which it is accessed and updated. Plus there is the design problem. A more complex site (such as the Master Gardener Conference Site) would cost more in the $3000 to $5000 range.
- Content Management/Database Site: The most complex and the most issues to resolve. This is the kind of site which can be updated and maintained by someone other than the developer so there is much more work on the front end but in the long run, it’s cheaper and easier to maintain. These can cost $6000 to $12000 (or even more if it is particularly complex.)
- How do I get the website “online?”
- Well, now we’re talking about establishing a domain name and registering it with a Registrar and establishing the site with a hosting company, who would provide the server space that is accessible to the World Wide Web. Getting your site online is all part of the process and is usually included in my development fees. However, the monthly charges for hosting and the domain name(s) registration are not.
- Do you offer a hosting service?
- At this time I do not. I can suggest possible hosting companies with which I have experience. This is a service I may offer in the future. When I am developing your site, I establish a web presence known as a “development site” so you can see the site as it is being developed. Once the development and testing is complete, the site files are moved to their final location (on your hosting company’s server) and you go “live.”
- Why are websites so expensive?
- A custom-designed site requires many hours of work including design work, programming, testing and re-designing, coding and so forth to get it right. Some developers charge $100 per hour or more. Even at a lesser fee, the hours and money seem to accumulate pretty quickly. Of course, there are alternatives to custom-designed sites, templates being an affordable option. But then you won’t have a unique web presence. I am willing to discuss all the alternatives to produce a site that fits your needs and wants.
- How are you paid for a web design project?
- I get a deposit of 25 to 35% up front to begin the project. Then another chunk (25 to 30%) comes due upon initial completion of the site for testing ("beta" version) and then the final payment is due upon successful establisment of the site on it's final server space.
A Brief Biography
M y first encounter with media and the graphic arts was during my high school years in Houston, TX where I was involved in projects at my school and studied film making at the Contemporary Arts Museum. I developed a real love for communication through multi-media platforms including film, photography and object-based layouts. Although I planned to attend college to study what was then called “Commercial Art” I opted instead to pursue a career in music which eventually led me to Branson, Missouri where I have been performing in shows since 1995.
When my good friend and employer, Delene Andre lost her close friend and graphic artist to a move west, I offhandedly mentioned to her that I could use Photoshop and knew something about the graphic arts. I was put to work immediately creating brochures, hand outs, coupons, newspaper ads and anything else she needed in the way of print media. I studied more about design and its application in advertising and learned other software programs to create layouts and develop graphic symbols, logos and other objects.
I expanded my skills to include web site design and administration through the use of such programs as Dreamweaver and Flash. Utilizing these programs as well as the PHP/MySQL server model enables me to design and build just about any kind of web site, from a simple portfolio or on-line brochure to a complex shopping cart.
I am a free lance graphic artist and web designer working in the southwest Missouri area. Generally I work alone however I have established relationships with other professionals in my field for assistance when required. For more information about my services, click the "Contact" tab above or click the "Q & A" tab for answers to the most commonly asked questions I recieve.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Resume and Brochure
H opefully, my resume will give you some idea of the range and type of services I have delivered in the past 5 years. While most of my work has been entertainment-related more recently I've expanded into some exciting areas most notably database design and administration, a talent-based social networking site and the service fields of specialty motorcycle parts and window coverings sale and installment. Please look over my resume and brochure and feel free to get in touch with any whose contact information is provided.
