frequently asked questions

The First Steps

Is filling out the Company Profile questionnaire required?

While it’s not required to fill out our Company Profile, Brass Ring strongly recommends doing so. Clients who fill out the profile are more likely to have a successful web presence, as it allows us to enter projects/services with most of the information we'll need to get started.

REMEMBER: We are not your business/organization (and vice versa), so filling out our Company Profile will help us get on the same page!

Will I have to sign a service agreement?

As of 10/4/2021, new clients are required to sign a general service agreement. This agreement is only in place to protect both parties from any conflicts or issues and sets general service and payment terms for both parties to follow.

You are not locked into to this agreement for any given period of time. In fact, if you need to cease any service(s) or the agreement itself, not to fear!

Our cancellation policy is simple:

All we will need is your standard two (2) weeks' notice. Once we receive your request for termination, services completed up to that point (unpaid or not prepaid) will be sent on a final service invoice.
If you need to cancel one service and continue another, you can do so without having to sign a new service agreement.
No surprise cancellation fees. Zilch. Any fees owed at the time of cancellation are simply for services completed before the termination of service(s).
As long as all invoices have been paid, you will receive all works produced as a result of the terminated service(s).
You own your domain from the start, meaning that we won’t hold it hostage like some of our competitors do.

NOTE: All Brass Ring services are non-refundable.

How long are initial service rates in effect?

After signing our service agreement, initial service rates are in effect for up to one (1) calendar year.

One (1) month before reaching this anniversary marker, we will send updated rates that will be in effect for up to one (1) full calendar year. This process will continue annually for the length of your signed service agreement.

In lieu of signing a new service agreement each year, your signature will serve as written permission for Brass Ring to update service rates and payment terms once annually, or as required. See your signed service agreement for official service and payment terms.

Web DeSIGN

What does a web design project entail?

The web design project is the initial service we provide to all website clients. All projects are fully customized to fit your needs, from simple informational websites to full-scale dynamic websites developed with our CMS (content management system).

More information can be found on our web design service page.

Why are web design prices not quoted right away?

Each client has a different project scope, allowing us to customize pricing for web design services. Therefore, we cannot determine exact rates until the client provides us with more information on exactly what they are looking for.

The easiest way to provide this information is by completing our Company Profile questionnaire. Contact us today to get started!

How long does a web design project take?

Depending on the project scope, your new website can be ready to go live within 2 - 3 months of signing a service agreement. Prompt client response always allows the process to go much smoother and quicker!

NOTE: The web design project will not begin until a service agreement is signed and an initial deposit is made.

Site Hosting

What is site hosting?

In the web industry, site hosting refers to a wide range of services that make your website accessible to users worldwide. Site hosting is required for all websites on the internet, but it doesn’t have to be complicated!

When you have Brass Ring design a website, we strongly recommend having us host your website on the fastest, most scalable technology of its kind on the market. In fact, we find it so important that we now include hosting with all web care plans at no additional charge!

More information can be found on our site hosting service page.

Do I need an SSL certificate?

An SSL (secure socket layers) certificate provides significant security and SEO benefits for your website. More important than that, SSL puts all site visitors at ease, especially when providing personal information.

However, it can potentially cost you hundreds of dollars a year just to have it ... that's crazy to think about! At Brass Ring, we believe that a secure website should be a no-brainer, so all websites we design and host are SSL-secure at no additional cost.

Web Care Plans

What is included with a web care plan?

By default, all web care plans cover the following services:

Site Hosting: Your website will be hosted with the fastest, most scalable technology on the market. Some of our hosting plans allow you to sell products and services online.
Daily Site Monitoring: We ensure your site is responsive, reliable, and secure every day.
Daily Viewership Monitoring: We keep track of metrics such as site visitors, average session duration, page views, bounce rate, and site events.
Weekly SEO Monitoring: Each week, we will keep track of relevant keywords and key phrases to ensure our SEO techniques are working properly.
Weekly XML Sitemap Updates: Each week, we will resubmit your XML sitemap to Google and Bing.

Upkeep, Plus and Gold plans also cover site content services each month:

Project Upkeep: Updates made to existing site content.‍
New Content: Content originally developed by Brass Ring.‍
Client Content: Content developed (and provided) by the client.

More information can be found on our web care plans service page.

When will my web care plan become active?

Your web care plan will become active the day the site goes live.

Will my site rank #1 on search engines?

Brass Ring uses organic search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to help build your site's SEO backbone, meaning that it is equipped to potentially be ranked on the first page of search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

However, sharing your website is vital in ensuring viewership and higher search engine rankings; we strongly recommend doing this when your site goes live! To accomplish this, there are many free and paid advertising options that you can look into (including our digital marketing services).

Service Invoices

How often are service invoices sent? When are payments due?

When applicable, service invoices will be sent once a month via email. Invoices can be sent on the 15th day or last day of the month.

Payment is always due within fifteen (Net-15) days of receipt. Payments can be made via check, PayPal, or credit card (via PayPal).

General services will be discounted by $5/month if pre-paid in increments of at least three (3) months. Additional services will be billed separately at the end of each month.
A 5% late fee will be added to invoices not paid within fifteen days (Net-15) of receipt. This fee will increase to 10% (of the original invoice total) on invoices not paid within thirty days (Net-30) of receipt.
If an invoice is not paid within thirty days (Net-30) of receipt, Brass Ring will pause all services until all unpaid invoices are paid in full. Billing will continue for expenses related to your web care plan, such as site hosting.

Can I upgrade or downgrade service plans?

We understand the ever-changing environment of your business, so you can upgrade or downgrade your monthly site hosting plan, site maintenance plan, or digital marketing package at any time.*

At this time, prepaid plans are not eligible for upgrades or downgrades during the prepaid time period (quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly). Plans can be upgraded or downgraded once that time period ends.

*Changes will be applied starting with the following month's service invoice.

What is your refund policy?

All Brass Ring services are non-refundable. See your signed service agreement for official payment terms.