Interactive Media Policies

• Importing an Existing Website
• Refunds
• website Hosting
• website Maintenance
• Additional Information

We will import your existing website and make changes to improve search engine rankings, page load time, navigability and compatibility between multiple web browsers.  We charge $75 per hour.

$75 typically includes:
Importing 10 pages or less (it’s usually costs $150 for more than 10 pages.)
Reworking metatags, keywords, picture and page titles.
Setting up tracking software

If needed, we may also:
Rearrange some information on the website to improve navigation and composition of the website.

This charge does not include any more than minor revisions of content.  It includes only changes that will improve your website based on the above factors.  We will do as much as the client requests, and charge $75 per hour for our time.

Not included:
Creation of custom graphics or "cleaning-up" of existing graphics. We often do a bit of this upon import of a website, but reserve the right, based upon our judgment of the particular situation, to charge more if absolutely necessary. Custom design work is available, at the rate of $75/hour.

Duplication of existing design elements such as buttons, picture frames, or other effects.

Rescanning photos for website. Photos usually take 5-10 minutes to scan and place on a website.

Extensive updating of the website. If you desire extensive text changes, please notify us ahead of time. We need to charge more if extensive text changes are necessary in order to get a website "up to par" for ongoing maintenance.

We reserve the right to charge more if unforeseen issues arise.  We try hard to give an exact quote ahead of time.

Issues that may incur additional costs include:

• websites that may require extra effort to incorporate. Shopping Carts, Perl Scripts, JavaScript, forms, Virtual Tours, Slide Shows, etc.
• websites created using FrontPage Themes or FrontPage Shared Borders.
• websites that are "framed" that need to be "de-framed".
• websites with dysfunctional graphics that need to be re-designed.
• Compatibility issues with most major browsers - the website needs to be made more browser-friendly.
• websites with too much information on one page that needs to be split into several pages.
• websites that need pages combined.
• websites that need extensive updating to make the site more accurate.
• websites that need more than a few pictures replaced.
• websites sent to us on disk or by email that are not easily "imported."

websites that are copyrighted and need to be redesigned to satisfy the copyright.  If a website is copyrighted in a company’s name other than your own, we need to have written notice that the copyright has been released.

We will do our best to accommodate and work with third party companies (your graphic designer, hosting company, consultant, etc.), but reserve the right to charge more if the communication with the third party becomes overly time-consuming or non-productive.

We will place an unobtrusive link at the bottom of your page stating "website hosted and promoted by Skagit Valley Publishing".

Setup charges (when we import your site and make improvements) are NOT refundable once we have put up the site for your review. Even if you change your mind, we have already done the work.

We provide our clients with a copy of their website, upon request, on CD-Rom for $50. We can also send a "zipped" version of the website by e-mail for free upon request.

Hosting refunds will be provided on a pro-rated basis. 
 
If a client doesn't pay their bills or closes, Skagit Valley Publishing will take their homepage down. It is the client's responsibility to notify us, in writing, if they want us to handle their "down" website in a different way.

Please note, hosting begins the day we put up the site for your review and notify you.  If you take 30 days to "approve" the site, those days are still included in your hosting.

Hosting and Maintenance: $45.00 per month

Hosting: We store your website on a server so that when anyone requests your website, they can see it. With the designs we make you can access your site traffic reports online 24/7/365.
Maintenance: Includes 60 minutes per month of updates (like new photos, prices, or specials) to your website.  Adding new pages and major redesign work is not considered "maintenance.” These minutes do not accrue.  If they are not used during any given month, they expire.
E-mail: Addresses included (yourname@yourname.com)
Registration of a Domain Name: If you don’t already have a domain name (www.your-name.com), you will need to purchase one for $60 (good for two years)
Premium Submission to www.skagitbiz.com, Skagit County’s premier online business directory. Click here for more information ($120.00 annual value)

Hosting: $25.00 per month

Hosting: We store your website on a server so that when anyone requests your website, they can see it.
Traffic Reports: Access to website traffic reports online 24/7/365 upon request.
E-mail: Addresses included (yourname@yourdomain.com)
Registration of a Domain Name: If you don't already have a domain name (www.your-name.com), you will need to purchase one for $60 (good for two years)

Maintenance is intended to keep your existing website content fresh and up to date.  Maintenance is not intended to be used for new design work.  
 
The first 60 minutes per month of website updates to existing content are included in your hosting fee.  Any additional time spent will be billed at $75.00 an hour. These minutes do not accrue.  If they are not used during any given month, they expire.  
 
Updates to websites generally take 2-3 business days to schedule and complete but can take more or less time depending on our workload and holiday scheduling.
 
Time spent making updates is charged to your account during the month in which the changes are completed - not the month in which we receive the request. Changes received near the end of the month may be charged to the following month.
 
Time spent interpreting maintenance requests is not considered part of the design process and will not be added to the time it takes to make the change.  This includes telephone consultation with your website designer.
 
Updates that are initiated in one month will be charged to that month even if the work extends into the subsequent month(s).  This is considered updates in excess of 60 minutes.
 
We cannot manage your update work load.  Updates for each month need to be received each month, not in bulk to be spread out over months.

Our clients are required to contact us when they need maintenance done to their site. If we're not contacted by the client we assume your website doesn't need updating.
 
If it is your goal to not exceed 60 minutes of maintenance time in a given month we will stop the work at 60 minutes and publish the updates.  It is the customer's responsibility to review the completed changes and resend those that were not completed at a later time.
 
Each change involves opening the website in an HTML editor, making the requested change and publishing the updated version to the internet.  These steps take a minimum of 7 minutes to complete. These steps are taken each time new changes are received.
 
Time spent researching disputed website changes (time spent) that have already been addressed by these policies will be charged to the month in which the disputed changes occurred.  Design or billing errors that are deemed Skagit Valley Publishing Co. responsibility will be corrected at no charge.
 
We reserve the right to distinguish between "updates" to existing content and "new design" work.  New design work is charged at our hourly design rate.
 
Occasionally Skagit Valley Publishing will update your website proactively (w/o asking for your permission ahead of time). This is because something is wrong and needs to be fixed.  This time will not be charged to your maintenance minutes.  In the past we have done this when we needed to update the code, fix a broken link, or update keywords for search engine performance.
 
We are happy to provide our hosting customers as much e-mail address  support as wanted or needed with incoming e-mails.  We are doing more and more e-mail support these days, and find that most of our time is spent resolving problems that originate on the client’s own computer or with their ISP. 

We give clients their e-mail account information (server name, user name and password), and will fix any problems that originate on our end.  Any additional support (for e-mail issues not originating with Skagit Valley Publishing) will be counted as part of your monthly maintenance minutes.  While we are happy to walk you through resolving issues on your computer and/or to contact your ISP, we need to charge you for this time.  We have this policy so that we can give great support for problems that are not ours to fix.

We reserve the right to request that you present us with the desired changes in an alternate format. 

We will do our best to accommodate and work with third party companies (your graphic designer, hosting company, consultant, etc.), but reserve the right to charge more if communication with the third party becomes overly time-consuming or non-productive.