Frequently Asked Questions About Mauco Internet Consultants
OUR BUSINESS
OUR EXPERIENCE
OUR PHILOSOPHY
COST
CREATIVE AND WEB PAGE DEVELOPMENT
APPLICATION AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT
HOSTING
E-COMMERCE
MARKETING
MAINTENANCE
OUR BUSINESS
How long have you been in business?
Mauco has been in business since December 2003.
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How large is your company?
As of January 2010, Mauco Internet Consultants is a local firm with global alliances.
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Are you local or international?
Mauco Internet Consultants is a local firm proudly supported by strategic local and foreign partners.
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OUR EXPERIENCE
How many years have we been building websites?
Mauco Internet Consultants has been building websites for over 4 years but our offshore partners have over 12 years of experience.
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How many online solutions have you developed?
Mauco Internet Consultants has directly developed over 24 websites in our history.
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Who are the largest companies you have worked for?
CFAO – Structec Nig. Ltd., CFAO – Nipen Nig. Ltd., Westcom Wireless Nig. Ltd. and SparkWest Steel Ind. Nig. Ltd. have trusted Mauco Internet Consultants as a high-quality, cost effective alternative to large agencies and IT consultancies.
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What are your core competencies?
With the strong backing of our local and foreign partners, we have access to over 300 experienced and dedicated staff who are competent in various fields.
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Where can I see samples of your work?
You can view our projects at our Design Gallery or through our online portfolio at: www.mauconline.net/clients.html
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For what industries have you created websites?
Mauco Internet Consultants does not specialize by industry. We have created websites for Engineering Sector, Telecoms sector, Leisure sector etc.
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How do you measure the success of your websites?
At the end of each project, we will do a satisfaction review. You will be given an opportunity to tell us how we did. While this review does not directly evaluate the profitability of your site, often a highly satisfied client is a good early indicator that the site will be profitable.
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OUR PHILOSOPHY
Do you have a formal process that all projects go through?
Before embarking on a custom website project, the client fills our VDQ form where they state the details of the project. Based on the details therein we prepare a detailed quote containing the terms of the project. Once the client pays the agreed price of the project, then we commence work on the project. When completed, the client is given a 15 working days period to view / test the project and make reasonable suggestions for changes. After which - if we have not been contracted to maintain the solution - the project is signed off and closed.
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What is my role in the development process?
You are to provide all proprietary material for your custom website design and development project, to help determine the look and feel of the project and make meaningful suggestions about your expectations.
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How will you provide constant communication to me on the status of my project throughout the development?
Our primary mode of communication is email. If need be, we shall use sms messages and telephone calls. In extreme cases we shall arrange meetings with clients from time to time.
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Do I own the code used to create my website?
After we have received full payment for your custom website design and development project, you will own all the end files used to create your site. We normally protect proprietary source files that may contain trade secrets such as Flash “.fla” files, Photoshop “.psd” files. Clients generally don’t need these files; if you do, we can negotiate special terms for you to license the rights to the source files.
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Will I be able to make changes to my site myself?
Yes! Though we we prefer handling these aspects for all our clients - leaving them free to handle the physical aspects of their business - you can choose to do so yourself. All our standard web pages are designed to work with most of the popular web authoring tools. If you have experience with HTML you can also edit your site with a text editor or a WYSIWYG editor. Our Pay-as-you-Go website on the RiaEnjolie platform come with powerful control panels to enable you make changes yourself.
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After I decide I want you to you to design my website, what happens next?
For our Pay-as-you-Go websites, you can pay online with your credit card! For custom websites, simply pay the agreed cost of the project into our bank account. Only after we have acknowledged payment from our bankers, will we commence work. Contact us now for our bank details
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Who will be assigned to my project and what is their level of competence?
A qualified and certified staff will be assigned to oversee your project.
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How long will it take you to develop my website?
Site development, of course, depends on the type of site. For a Pay as you Go website on the RiaEnjolie platform, your site can be ready in as little as 72 hours after payment is received! For custom website projects, we typically recommend allowing 4-8 weeks. Advanced sites particularly those with extensive programming can take 6 months or more. If you need a custom site faster, we offer rush services, for an additional fee.
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Will I be required to provide materials based on a schedule you provide for me?
In order to meet the required finish date, we will need any materials you are providing for the site by a certain date. If a client does miss a client deliverable deadline, the website delivery date will be delayed. Note: If a client deliverable is missed you will not be charged for developer down time. We will re-task personnel to other projects and we will put them back on your project as soon as they are available again after the client deliverable is provided to us.
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Will you have a single point-of-contact for any questions or issues that you might have during the project?
The CEO of Mauco Internet Consultants will be assigned as your account manager and will be happy to assist you every step of the way.
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COST
How much can I expect to pay for a complete website?
Our primary goal for your website is for it to produce positive returns on your investment. To that end we offer two classes of websites: pay-as-you-go websites and high-end custom sites. Custom sites that are exceptionally large, complex, or have extensive programming will be more expensive, even running into 6 figures for highly advanced projects.
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Are there any other support costs associated with a website?
For custom websites our maintenance cost are affordable. Whilst clients can maintain their sites themselves, we do not recommend this option because they usually do not have the time, skills, and tools necessary to keep the site up-to-date with the latest industry standards.
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What payment structure is offered for websites?
For custom websites we take a 50% deposit -and the balance 50% upon completion. For Pay-as-you-Go websites, we charge a one-off setup fee and monthly maintenance fee.
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How can I be assured I won't be hit with hidden charges?
We have a proven system to assure you always know exactly what you are getting and how much it will be-no surprises!
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CREATIVE AND WEB PAGE DEVELOPMENT
What creative and web page development software do you use?
We use Microsoft NotePad, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Macromedia Flash, Macromedia Fireworks, Microsoft FrontPage Flash, PHP, ASP.NET, SQL/MySQL, CSS, JavaScript, Ajax Scripts and many more.
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Is your code optimized using open standards?
We strive to adhere to the W3C standards for HTML/XML, CSS Standards and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines but we don't guarantee that all our websites will meet these high standards when checked with various validation tools.
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In what browsers do you design and test your sites to view correctly?
Windows IE7, Windows Firefox 7, Windows Netscape 8.0. The above browsers represent over 80% of all browsers currently used. If you have special needs, we can develop for additional browsers at your request.
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Do you build websites to be search engine friendly?
Mauco will strive to ensure that customized websites we build are search engine friendly. Note: While building a search engine friendly site is a critical requirement, other factors must be implemented to achieve top search engine rankings. Link popularity, age of site, level of competition and dozens of other factors also play an important role.
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Are you able to provide flash animation?
Yes, we have experienced Flash programmers who can create basically any kind of animation you desire.
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APPLICATION / TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT
What web application development and servers do you use?
We have experience in the use of major web enabled languages like C++, PHP, Java, and most popular databases like MS Access and MySQL. These very diverse backgrounds give us a unique insight into the practicality of each technology. For each new project, we will review your requirements, current technical environment and expertise and provide a recommended development environment.
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HOSTING
Do you provide hosting? Is it in-house or do you outsource to another company and if so why them?
We provide hosting for our Pay-as-you-Go websites. We also provide hosting for our custom designec websites that we outsource to industry leaders both inside and outside the country. For custom web development projects, we outsource the hosting services so as to provide professional and secure world class hosting to our entire website at very affordable cost.
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Do I have to host with you?
For Pay-as-you-Go website Yes, you have to host with us, because we handle everything for you. But for custom websites, No! However, we typically recommend that our clients host with us. Some clients - for whom we have developed custom website - choose to keep their existing hosting companies and some host on-site. With custom web solutions, we can work with any scenario.
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Does your hosting offer a control panel to allow me to manage all my web services?
All our shared hosting plans come with Control Panel. Control Panel is a browser-based system that integrates web hosting services. It will allow you to manage e-mail configuration, databases, several popular web applications, server statistics and much more.
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How much space and/or bandwidth do I get with my hosting account?
Our hosting plans are very robust and flexible to meet your need from small personal sites to large mission critical applications..
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Do you handle my domain name registration or transfer? Do you charge extra for this?
Yes, we take care of your domain name registration at no extra cost ONLY if you host with us. If you choose to host your site elsewhere, we shall charge you for the domain name registration.
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Do I own the domain name used for my site?
For custom web solutions, if we acquire the domain name for you, ownership will be transferred to you upon final payment for your website. For websites on the RiaEnjolie platform, this is not so.
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What steps do you take to prevent loss of my site due to server failure?
All of our hosting are handled by internationally recognized companies in the hosting industry. Their servers are in a state-of-the-art hosting facility where they are continuously monitored for problems. If there is ever a problem with a server, techs are available 24 hours a day to respond and correct the problem.
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What is the guaranteed uptime for your hosting service?
99.9% guaranteed uptime.
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E-COMMERCE
In what types of E-Commerce are you proficient?
With the help of InterSwitch, we can provide simple one-click purchases through InterSwitch WebPay payment gateway.
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If my needs can be fulfilled with a standard off-the-shelf shopping cart, which ones do you recommend / have experience with?
We have experience with different ones and strive to work with the one chosen by the client.
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MARKETING
Are you able to guarantee a high ranking on the search engines with your search engine optimization strategy?
Get Listed in Google, Yahoo in just 48 hours! We do not offer a guarantee for placement in ALL search engines. Often "Money Back Guaranteed Placement" is a sign of a scam. The search engine marketing industry is full of scams and false promises, we recommend everybody read Google's guide whenever you are selecting a search engine optimizer.
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Will you explain how you are optimizing my site?
We are always open about our techniques and whether we are using free optimization or if we are paying for sponsored links. Yes. We always follow established search engine guidelines to assure we do not damage the value our clients have built into their domain names.
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Do you strictly adhere to each search engine guideline to assure my site does not get penalized for spamming?
Yes. We always follow established search engine guidelines to assure we do not damage the value our clients have built into their domain names.
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MAINTENANCE
How will my site be maintained?
We plan site maintenance around your needs. Contrary to industry trends, we will enable you to maintain your own website if you wish. For a typical website, modifying content is the primary maintenance need. If you host with us, you will have access to a comprehensive Control Panel. Control Panel will allow you to manage your e-mail, databases, applications and much more.
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