FAQs

Q: What’s hosting, domain name, and content?

A: Hosting is like the stamp on an envelope, the domain name is like the address on the envelope and the letter inside is the actual website. All websites need to have the content which is the website itself, a domain name which is the address of that website or the address on the envelope as it were, and of course the stamp or the hosting to make it all work.

Q: How do I edit my website?

A: If it’s a static site (old HTML code) then you need to have a webmaster or web expert probably edit it for you unless you know how to do this yourself. Or you can use an editing system that allows you to go into your website via the Internet and insert pictures and photos, links, create pages and forms, and other website editing features and functions to manage your site.

Q: What kinds of features come with the website?

A: There are many different features that come with websites depending on what the customer or client’s preferences are. There are things such as blog modules were the client or customer can write interactive blogs with his or her customers,  CHAT Features where the customer can interact with his prospects online, Featured Content Slider’s where the customer can advertise with the Image slides or pictures that click through to certain pages. There are many others, it just really just depends on the customer’s preference.

Q: What if I don’t have a logo?

A: Logo designs and logos are very important for your business and you’re company branding. With that said, we need to design a logo for you if you don’t already have one. Ask your Sales Person about Logo Design, or click here: https://modernwebstudios.com/logo-design

Q: Why do I need a website?

A: It used to be in the old days that the Yellow Pages were sufficient enough to do most of your advertising and of course billboards and traditional postcards worked as well. However with the advent of the Internet and the mass population using Google and other search engines to find information and do their shopping a website is now an essential part of everybody’s business marketing strategy.

Q: Is there anything I can’t put on a website with Modern Web Studios

A: We only allow “family friendly” material on websites created, editor or hosted by Modern Web Studios, its contractors or affiliates. Therefore websites that contain or promote hate speech, nudity, profanity, immorality or any other stuff that you couldn’t tell a 5 year old without blushing; we don’t allow. We know there are lots of websites out there that have that and for them, hey! whatever. But there are alot of other website services you can find who don’t care what goes on their server of before their eyes… we do. We prefer small business websites, ecommerce sites, Christian church sites, Auto repair, Plumbing, Contractors, Painters, Realtors; you get the picture.

Q: What is a Domain / or URL?

A: A domain name or URL is simply put an address or place-marker on which your website or webpage will be hosted, placed, and found. In other words your domain name is your personal address to be found on the World Wide Web.

Q: Who owns or is responsible for managing the domain?

A: The customers always owns the domain here at MWS. Most customers come to MWS already in control of their own domain account. Regardless of where the domain is purchased, domain management is the sole responsibility of the customer unless a domain management plan has been purchased. ($25 annually) The customer is responsible to keep the domain registration current in order for the website to function properly. We recommend having it set on auto renewal or pay for several years ahead. Domain service providers such as: Modern Web Studios, Godaddy, Network Solutions, Tucows, Namecheap and more; regularly send out expiration notices 90 days ahead of the expiration date. As a courtesy MWS also sends out an email or phone call to make sure that this important account is kept up to date. In most cases domain registrars will charge a reconnect fee in excess of $125 to get a domain reactivated after expiration. If an expired domain is not brought current within 30 days, it may not be retrievable; being resold to a domain broker or placed back into the database and placed up for sale. Please remember that your domain and hosting are 2 separate accounts and both must be dealt with independently. 

Q: Will you purchase a domain name for me?

A: We can and will but it will be done with your information so you own the domain name and you control all aspects of it. The ownership of a domain is a sticky thing online. So many companies participate in purchasing the domain or including it in the purchase of the website, only to find out later; the web company owns the domain. We have seen this so much that we want to separate ourselves completely from this practice. We are pleased to walk you through the purchase and registration of your domain however; it will be with your credit card, your name, your email, etc. Or if you choose, we can do it all for you at no additional cost and send you the login credentials after it’s registered.

Q: What is hosting and why do I need it?

A: If you were to compare hosting to traditional Mail from the US postal system you would find that the hosting is actually the stamp that makes the envelope travel to its destination. Without the stamp you cannot send your mail, similarly without hosting you cannot publish your website. All websites and all web pages need to be hosted.

Q: What is a CMS Hosting?

A: CMS hosting is a type of hosting that allows for the user to edit and manage their website content the CMS system stands for content management system and just like it sounds it allows for the editing of your website usually done online.

Q: What is included with my website when I host with Modern Web Studios?

A: Complete training and all the tools that you will need to edit your own website! We are well know for going the extra mile for our customers. They feel like they’re family because of how much care we put into our support. Just call any of our customers and ask them how the service is AFTER the sale! They will tell you.

Here are some of the features included with the website:

• Copy over up to 6 existing pages of content to the new website (from the old website) or you can just use our pre-written and styled content and make changes yourself with ease!
• Pre-Designed Theme of your choice (see http://themes.modernwebstudios.com) Upgrades available
• A Contact Us page with a Google Map to your location (if needed) and a general Contact form
• Search Engine Friendly URL’s (the ability to set custom keywords in the address of each page)
• Built-in Search Feature (allows visitors to quickly find the information they’re looking for)
• Blocks (you can edit the sections of the template below the menu or in the footer, depending on your template)
• Social Media Links and Live Streaming Facebook or Twitter Posts Module (if needed)
• A “back to top” button (allows your visitors a convenient way to get to the top of your page with a single click which also makes your site more user-friendly)
• Flash animated text in the header and in some cases also in the footer (fully editable text that you can change whenever you want to)
• PhotoFX (which gives you the ability to add 3-D effects to your photos with drop shadows, borders, glows, and more all with the click of a button) Example: https://modernwebstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/CuBit_-_PhotoFX-1.jpg 
• Search Engine Optimization tools throughout the website editor giving you access to everything you need to enhance your Google ranking yourself. (But we can still do it for you if you prefer)
• The ability to hide pages until you are ready to make them visible.
• Create and modify your own contact forms to make a detailed information request page which is a great lead generation tool.
• A very easy to use “Click to Enlarge” feature which you can use to turn a large picture into a small picture and have your visitor click to enlarge without having to learn HTML.
• A CAPTCHA which keeps your forms from being filled out by Bots (scripts that use contact forms to fill in forms to send YOU spam through your website).

Q: What are PhotoFX?

A: PhotoFX (effects) are special effects that are used for the photos or images that enhance the actual photograph or image by adding for instance a shadow or a glow behind it. This really helps to enhance the viewer’s experience.

See more about PhotoFX here.

Q: Am I going to get rich instantly once I get a website?

A: Well if you do… please let us know your secret as we would LOVE to know! Of course just like anything it takes a little bit of work to get your results from your website. The main thing to understand is; that you can have the most incredible looking website in the world but if nobody knows where it’s at, it doesn’t do you any good.  It’s quite similar to the metaphor of setting up a grocery store in the middle of the desert with nothing around it. So this might be the best looking grocery store with all the very best products and best prices, but if its in the middle of a barren desert and there’s no traffic, it gets no business. So keep in mind that the website is only one component the marketing strategy,  promotion of the website and getting traffic to the website is equally if not more important.

Q: What if I sell products?

A: Great that’s not a problem as long as it’s not illegal in nature or material. We do not advocate any kind of gambling, adult content, or anything illegal in nature of sales or promotion on ours server. If you do have a product however and you’d like to sell it we have several options for you to choose from including a real simple shopping cart module that goes right along with your PayPal account.

Q: What if I am not tech savvy? I don’t know the first thing about computers.

A: No problem. First of all don’t be ashamed, the technology and computer generation is something that is recent in modern history and has exploded over the past decade so lots of people are in your shoes. Although we do recommend that you have somewhat of a familiarity with your computer and with what to do, especially with programs things like Microsoft Word which is real similar to the editor in our CMS editing system, we do have video tutorials that review every step in how to edit your website.

Q: What if I already have a website?

A: Great just ask yourself these questions:
   1. How is it working out for you?
   2. Is it fully editable online?
   3. Does it look like the ones were offering.

   If you answered No to anyone of those you may want to reconsider.

Q: What if I don’t like the color of the website?

A: No problem we can change it. Sometimes we charge to do this and sometimes it’s so fast and easy that we won’t need to. If we do charge it would end up being between $10 and $65 (depending on the complexity of the theme).

Q: My old webmaster disappeared can you help me?

A: More than likely we can but you may have to get a new domain name, give us a call for a free consultation.

Q: I keep getting quotes for $3,000+ for WordPress websites, but yours are a 1/3 the price; Why?

A: WordPress is a website platform, it has no theme or function; like the chassis of a car. As with a car chassis you need to add the suspension, motor, seats, body and color of paint to get a functional car; WordPress is much the same. Each plugin or part of the website has to be purchased or “licensed” to function on the platform. This is why so many website services have WordPress websites starting at $3000+. The costs of plugins to make a great looking and functional site gets pricey when you start adding functionality.
To keep our websites more affordable we have purchased plugins for unlimited use, but this use is limited to be used on our servers to maintain the license. Additionally we use a universal theme builder that allows us to construct any theme appearance by combining colors, styles, and custom css. This replaces the need to purchase a restrictive WordPress theme that limits what you can do. We also use plugins and an editing experience that we have streamlined, making it less expensive to construct vs. a purchased theme from a WordPress theme repository. It also streamlines the editing of the site, making support more efficient.

Q: Why do you not allow Plugin, Theme or FTP access?

A:
Reason 1: Licensing
We use both licensed software and proprietary software running on all of our websites to enhance CuBit as well as WordPress. Some of these licenses require limited access to the administrator of the website and some require they only run on the servers they’re licensed to (our servers). We could be legally liable for distributing software if we were to provide access to the plugins area or to FTP because through such access, one could download a complete copy of the plugin/software.

Reason 2: Security
WordPress is an open source platform, and as such; has developers from all over the world creating plug-ins and programs for use with your WordPress system. While this is a major advantage of WordPress, making it infinitely expandable; it also places you at significant risk. Hackers, posing as developers, regularly provide free, attractive plugins that are commonly downloaded that contain viruses, tracking software, data harvesters, back-door access to the server and more. They use this to steal passwords, customer data or worse; expose your visitors to potential security breaches as well. All this is done very cleverly and behind the scenes. This is a paramount reason why we do not allow Plugin access or FTP access. This is one of the most common methods hackers use to gain access to a website and servers. Furthermore, as we maintain all our own servers, each website is sharing a server so any corrupt access could potentially be used to do the same for other websites on that server.

Reason 3: Ability to Maintain Support
Just like Apple and Android devices that have dozens or hundreds of different programs that do the same thing, WordPress is much the same. Just like those programs all edit differently, plugins are much the same. In order for us to provide premium support, we often use plugins that we are either familiar with or know the developer and how he/she sets them up. With the extensive number of plugins that work so differently from each other, it would be very difficult to offer you support for plugins we are not familiar with. This, coupled with the security concerns; is why we often research plugins on behalf of our customers. We will search for the safest plugins with the best customer interface and provide you with those options. NOTE: WordPress was created BY developers FOR developers. Most plugins do not have a “customer friendly” experience, which is why finding a safe one that provides quality support; sometimes is a task in itself.

Reason 4: Compatibility
Because most plugins on a website are made using elements and sub programs from different developers, they are not always compatible. Often when installing a new plugin or update it can easily break other plugins on the website, be incompatible with the theme, be incompatible with your version of WordPress or any custom css that was created for the site functionality or appearance. Additionally are the changes that continue to be released by Google, FireFox, Safari and other browser developers that must be managed for compatibility. Fixing these compatibility issues might take 5 minutes or 5 hours depending on the program and factors. As we are held responsible for the function of the site we must have control over what plugin is used to help keep the website running smooth and safe for our customers as well as your visitors.

Solutions:

Solution A: Let us do the more complicated stuff for you for free.
We work with dozens of marketing and SEO companies that need to modify different things in the theme, plugins and such to place code snippets or call to action modifications. For many of these, we add these for free!* This way you can still have the services of your marketing staff while still preserving the integrity of the website. If you need a code dropped in the head of the theme file (such as Google analytics or Facebook tracking code, etc.) we will gladly insert that for you at no charge and as often as you need. If you need a plugin installed, we can install it for you at no charge* providing it meets our security standards. Some plugins have very poor ratings and some plugins are too new to install (This is indicative of a dangerous or poorly written and developed plugin; which can cause major problems with your website or the server). We are happy to work with SEO companies and other developers.

Solution B: Migrate to our less restrictive hosting plan.
We offer a less restrictive hosting plan for those who want to do their own plug-in maintenance, WordPress core updates, theme modifications/updates, security maintenance, and backups, as well as install their own plug-ins. Pricing is actually less expensive because we are not providing anything other than basic hosting similar to what you would get through GoDaddy or HostGator. Your support would be limited to only hosting account related issues, not WordPress support as we cannot provide support for something we cannot control the environment for. This of course would be the same with GoDaddy or HostGator.

Solution C: Host with another company and pay more (or pay less and risk more).
Don’t host the website with us. Sometimes someone feels that the way we set-up our websites with an enhanced editing experience, back-ups, security and support; pales in comparison to their ability to add their own plugins, do their own WordPress updates, security updates, ability to grant FTP access to overseas developers or needing to reconstruct their website after it’s been corrupted. If your access needs or skills are such that you don’t need the services we provide, don’t use our services. Feel free to pay more for a third party developer for Managed WordPress hosting, limited phone support, training, backups, etc) Or, host on GoDaddy, Network Solutions, HostGator, ect.; and pay less with no support or security at all. Yes, we are being a little facetious here, but the system we have put in place, especially for WordPress; is the best support arrangement we can offer while still being responsible for the support and safety of a customer’s website.

Q: How can I move it to another hosting service?

A: Occasionally, circumstances change where a customer has reasons to move their website over to another hosting service provider. In this case, a few things need to be done. 

When the website was constructed, it was built with plugins and programs that were licensed for use only on our servers. (This is one of the main reasons why our websites are generally much cheaper than our competitors). When moving the site to a new hosting provider, these plugins and programs will need to be licensed to you or replaced with lower cost alternatives. Security and speed modifications that may have been performed on the server side will not be available on the new service without similar configuration. Basically we export a copy of the theme, open source or re-licensed plugins, any css modifications performed to the theme for appearance or functionality. Depending on the plugins, the average cost to create an installable copy of your website is $75 and you must be current with all invoices, hosting payments and/or payment plans. The basic functionality of the site will remain completely intact; however any proprietary editing features will not be available when moving away, as stated in our hosting agreement. (Just like when moving from Verizon to AT&T, you lose access to the NFL that came with your Verizon service). Please feel free to reach out to us if you’d like to know more about this. (888) 987-7771

Are you a marketing agency?

We are a web development company however, we do offer online marketing services such as Google Ad Services, Social Media Marketing, Organic Page Boosters and more. Because of the diverse experience here at MWS we have several staffers with extensive marketing backgrounds that may offer recommendations on request as a courtesy. If your company is in the position where you need to use a marketing agency, awesome! We work very well with marketing agencies allowing them to do what they do best, while we focus on what we do best!