How many pages are included? Can I have a discount if I need less?

My standard web design fee includes up to 8 pages of your choice. Discounts are not offered for web sites needing less than 8 pages. Please understand that the majority of work involved with putting together a web site is designing the graphics and coding together the layout of the site. Setting up individual pages does not take long enough to justify offering a reduced fee.

Your pop-up website calendar, members-only gallery or 'Join my Mailing List' form are not counted against your page count, as these are automatically generated by the CMS and do not require separate development.

Additional static pages can be added to your website for $20 per page. Static pages are any standard content pages that can be edited within your web site editor, VedaCMS.

How much do you charge for a website?

My standard design fee for independent companions is $1000. This includes 60 billable hours of my time and everything outlined on my web design page. Add-on services can be viewed on the left hand side (scroll down the page a bit).

My photos aren't ready. Can you start without them?

Because the composition of your photos will affect how I create and layout your design, I cannot begin development until I have at least a few photos to work with during the initial design phase. If you are having your photos taken professionally, please be sure you are certain of when your photographer will have them ready for you before contacting me.

If you photos are not ready by the start date we agree on, I will still be happy to work with you - but it will be necessary to reschedule your project at the end of my current development queue. Because this could delay development for up to an additional six weeks, it is best to wait until you receive your photos before contacting me or confirming a start date.

Why can't I contact you by phone?

The primary reason for this is that I work from my home office while multi-tasking motherhood of two small children. Because my work day is adjusted around their naps, meals and family time - I don't have a consistent enough schedule that makes any kind of business over the phone practical right now. My working environment with the children at home can also be very chaotic and noisy, something which I have learned to deal with but would be a nightmare while trying to speak with a client on the phone. The little amount of quiet time I do get without distraction is highly valuable to me and is used to get the majority of my creative work done.

The other reason is that email is an essential part of my organization process. It is essential for me to have an email to reference when working on a new project or troubleshooting a support request.

I understand that my 'no phone' policy is an inconvenience and certainly understand that some people just aren't comfortable working with someone they have never spoken to. I'm afraid it is just one of my current eccentricities as a designer. This policy will most likely change when my youngest starts school full time, but that won't happen for several years.

If you register my domain name for me, will you be the legal owner?

Technically, yes. By registering your domain in my business name - I would be the legal owner. However, this also means that you never have to divulge your real identity or billing information to an online registrar.

If you decide to move to a different host or would prefer having the domain in your name at some point in the future, I will gladly transfer it into your name. Transfer fees generally run around $15.00 or less (depending on which registrar you transfer to).

On the other hand, you are certainly not required to have me register your domain for you. I only offer this as an extra layer of identity protection for those who want it. You are more than welcome to register your own domain if you'd feel more comfortable being the legal owner. If that is the case, I recommend paying extra for the 'Domains by Proxy' or 'Privacy Service' that allows your real name to be hidden from the public domain records (or update your domain public records with fictitious information after you purchase it).

Do you do Flash web sites or intros?

No. I do not design any kind of Flash applications. This includes full web sites, intros, banners or menus. I am personally opposed to flash web sites because they compromise usability for the end-user and are terrible for search engine optimization. You will need to contact a flash designer if you would like flash elements added to your web site.

Will you design my non-escort website?

Although I appreciate that you'd be interested in having me as your designer - I currently do not take on any other kind of website projects. My schedule is very tight and my editing system (VedaCMS) was designed specifically for the needs of a companion website. Until both of my children are in school full time, I prefer to focus exclusively on companion websites.

Do you do Paysites, Paid Membership Solutions or e-Commerce websites?

No. I prefer to work exclusively with low-key, traditional companion websites that focus primarily on offline services. I am currently not interested in taking on any kind of paysite or shopping cart project, as the development process and time commitment would interfere with my regular schedule.

Can I pay for my web site in installments?

Because I understand a web site is needed for an entertainer to bring in income - I am willing to make payment arrangements if the following conditions are met:

• The full down-payment amount must be made. If you genuinely cannot afford to pay the full amount, we can split your deposit into two payments - though the 2nd deposit installment must be received before I will begin development on your website.
• Once your web site is finished and you have started taking appointments - you may split your final balance into two monthly installments. For independent companions, this would be $250 per month. The first installment is required to launch your website publicly.
• The request for an installment arrangement must be made before your project start date.

Please understand that this is my income and provide me with the same professional courtesies you would expect of your own clients. To ensure that repayment of my services are kept a priority, I will temporarily disable any web site that is more than 30 days late in repayment. No exceptions.

Is your fee negotiable?

I'm sorry, but no. My fee is very reasonable given the amount of time I will be dedicating to your project from inception to launch. Your website is an investment and an essential tool for generating new patrons. Given the quality of my work and the additional features included with my services, I feel my fee is very fair.

I am more than happy to make payment arrangements if you are just starting out and have not yet established your business identity, but please understand that I work very hard at what I do and will not negotiate my fee.

What if I need to cancel my project?

This is no problem at all. I understand that plans can change or you may decide to move in another direction after initially scheduling. The following policy outlines how project deposits are handled in relation to project cancellations:

Cancellation Policy

1. If a project cancellation is received 5 or more days BEFORE our scheduled start date, you will receive a full refund of your project deposit.
2. If a project cancellation is received between 5 days BEFORE or 5 days AFTER your start date, you will be refunded 50% of your project deposit, providing no work has yet been done on your website.
3. If a project cancellation is received later than 5 days AFTER our scheduled start date or if any work has been done on your website to-date, your deposit will be forfeited entirely to cover the lost revenue for those days I had my calendar blocked off for your project.

If you do not wish to cancel, but need to pause development on your website for some reason, I am more than happy to work with you on this. I am fine with rescheduling or pausing development for up to 6 months past our original start date. After six months, please understand that your project would be cancelled and your deposit forfeited.

Will you update my web site once it's finished?

As of January 2010, I no longer offer six months of free basic maintenance. The reason for this is that my VedaCMS software allows clients to perform all basic updates on their own and I would like to encourage it be used for this purpose.

If you have a problem using VedaCMS or unsure about how to do something, I will gladly walk you through the process, though will usually not actually do the update for you unless you still cannot manage it after several attempts.

You are welcome to contact me for any update requests that cannot be made through the CMS, though most of these type of updates would be charged for at my standard hourly maintenance rate.

Client updates are performed on Mondays and Fridays. All update requests should be made through the support section of my online billing system. This ensures that your request is added to my update queue. Emailing support requests to me directly will require longer processing and delayed placement in my queue, as I would have to manually open a support ticket for you.

How can I send you payment?

Payments may be sent online using a credit or bank account through PayPal (preferred) or Google Checkout. You are also welcome to send payment offline via check, money order, Western Union, Money Gram or direct wire. If you are an existing customer, I will create an invoice for you that can be view and paid from my online billing system. If you are a new client, payments can be sent from my payment page or by sending a money order to:

Tara McKendry
PO Box 204
Park Falls, WI 54552

Note: Credit card payments are still processed through PayPal but you do not need to have a PayPal account to pay this way. To pay via credit card, simply use the 'add to cart' button next to the appropriate payment amount and then choose the option that reads "Don't have a PayPal Account?" after clicking the checkout button within the PayPal shopping cart.

How long will it take to finish my web site?

Once I receive your down payment and project data, it generally takes two weeks or less to have your first working draft ready. If you like the design I've come up with, an additional 2-5 days are usually needed to finish tweaking your site for public launch. On average, a web site (from start to finish) takes around three weeks. Additional time may be needed if you require a lot of modifications be made to the initial draft.

If we cannot agree on a design for your web site within 30 billable hours, you are welcome to cancel our contract without being required to pay the remaining balance. However, your down-payment will not be refunded, as this will go towards covering the time already put into your project.

Additionally, if your web site is not finished within 40 billable hours - we may need to discuss additional fees necessary to keep your project going. This policy essentially protects me from situations where the time needed to complete a project far exceeds what I am making a return on. This is almost never a problem. Over 98% of the web sites I design are finished within the initial time estimate.

On the left-hand side of my web design service page, you will find a more complete outline of the different stages of development. I recommend reading this carefully, as it will be important that you are available on a daily basis to collaborate on your design during Stage 2. This is the period of time where I modify the initial design draft based on your feedback.

Can you retouch my photos?

Yes. I will gladly edit and retouch your photos used within your site design or gallery page. However, I do ask that the amount of photos to be retouched be limited to 12 or less. Photo editing is a job in itself and it would take a significant amount of time to retouch dozens of photos. If you would like me to edit more than 12 photos, you are welcome to pay my standard freelance rate of $30/Hour for those additional photos.

It should be noted, however, that a professional photographer will do a much better job at photo editing than I could do for you. If you are having your photos taken professionally, I recommend using their editing services. Visit my recommended photographers page if you would like ideas for professional photography services.

How often are you available for support? How do I reach you?

Because I run Veda Designs independently from my home office, I am unable to personally provide 24/7 support to my clients. I pay a server management company to monitor and maintain my server 24/7 - so hosting related issues will automatically be handled in the event of an emergency.

My typical availability runs Monday-Friday from 9am - 5pm CST. I reserve weekends and one mid-week day off for time with my family. Non-critical updates are performed in the morning of every Monday and Friday. All update requests must be submitted through the support section of my online billing system. This ensures proper placement in my update queue. General questions that do not require a website update can be emailed to me directly.

Emergency or High priority support requests are handled as soon as I see them. However, if a support ticket issue is incorrectly set with a 'High' status, it will be downgraded in priority.

I try to answer all support requests within 72 hours (or sooner if I see you are having an emergency or critical issue) - but it can take longer if I'm having a particularly busy week. As mentioned previously, any updates that can be made through the CMS should be attempted before contacting me.

I can be reached at one of the following two email addresses (the gmail account is my 'backup' for situations when my web site or mail server is down). Telephone support is not an option at this time.

Primary Email: tara [at] vedadesigns.net
Backup Email: vedasupport [at] gmail.com

Are you an escort? Why do you design escort web sites?

No, I'm not an escort. The town I live in is so incredibly small that I'd be in terrible danger of accidentally dating a relative. :-)

One reason I design web sites exclusively for escorts is because, unlike with traditional business clients, the working environment is much more flexible and laid back than the standard alternatives.

In traditional business web design, it is usually necessary to travel and meet with the client before and throughout the course of a project. With two small children at home, I don't have the time or desire for this type of work commitment right now. Ultimately, I wanted something that allowed me to work from my home office, at my own pace and schedule. Veda Designs has allowed me to keep my family the higher priority, while still maintaining a supplemental income and sense of professional accomplishment.

The other reason is that I respect the courage of women who choose to work in the companionship industry and feel that society shouldn't dictate what is acceptable for a woman to do with her own body. On the same level, I don't feel there are a lot of reliable and trustworthy resources available to women who want to advertise online. Many escort web designers charge ridiculous amounts for gaudy, generic or amateur looking web sites.

My business model with Veda Designs has been to provide safe, affordable and professional looking web design services to women working in the escort/companionship industry. I make very few efforts to advertise or market my services (almost none in fact) - so most of my work comes from word of mouth or client recommendations.