FAQ

What sort of document formats can be put on a website?

Technically there is no restriction on the formats of documents that can be added as attachments.  Microsoft or Apple documents can be uploaded – however for the document to be accessible by a user, they must have the same program on their computer or device.  To ensure a document can be viewed it is recommended to convert to Adobe pdf format.  This is a common document format and free document conversion programs can be found on the internet.  Web Services Made Simple strongly advise all documents are converted to this format prior to being sent for uploading.

What permissions do I need for displaying photos of people on my website?

In volunteer organisations, especially those involving children, it is strongly advisable to gain express permission to use photos prior to sending them.  The onus of gaining permission to use photos is with the group and not Web Services Made Simple.  It is advisable to gain written approval from all individuals that feature on your website.

The CareMonkey software in use by Scouts Victoria also has the ability to send and maintain permissions for this purpose.

What sort of photos can I put on my website?

Photos are a great way to add colour and vibrancy to your website.  The recommended format for photos are either jpg or gif.  These formats result in good resolution with small file size – enabling them to be displayed quickly.

To get the best results when sending photos to Web Services Made Simple, keep them in the original format so that they can be appropriately sized and cropped when building your website.

Can I have comments or post pages on my website?

Yes.  The WordPress software, which Web Services Made Simple builds the website with has well developed comment and blogging capabilities.  A dedicated page to enable posts (written comments) to be loaded can be included.  The recommended method is to create specific logins for trusted members to enable them to post upcoming events, photos and attachments.  It is recommended that the ability for the public to comment on these posts be disabled – to remove the need for someone to moderate comments.

If you would like to host on your site an online forum where others can post comments or respond to your posts, this can be accommodated.  Please bear in mind that you will need to manage the posts and moderate comments.  Web Services Made Simple will set up the framework, but not manage the forum.

Can I add a group calendar to my website?

Yes, a group calendar is a great way to share upcoming activities with viewers of your website.  The recommendation is to create a Google calendar – maintained by the group (not Web Services Made Simple).  Once the calendar is established it can be embedded in the website.  Changes to the calendar will be automatically reflected on the website.  The group contact will own the calendar and can invite other members to be able to update it.  Do an internet search on ‘Google Calendar’ to get started.

Who is able to add content to my website?

Once an agreement to design, build and implement a website has been reached, Web Services Made Simple will work with one or two key members of your group.  In order to keep things simple, Web Services Made Simple will take requests via email for content additions, modifications and deletions from one or two designated contacts.  In this way we can all be assured that updates are consistent with the direction of the group and to reduce potential confusion.

How do I choose a domain suffix or tld (top level domain)?
The convention for Australian businesses is to have the following suffix
.com.au (com = commercial, au = Australia country code)
With volunteer or non profit organisations in Australia the recommendation is:
.org (organisation) or .org.au
or
.net (internet) or .net.au
In the early days of domain naming it was common to include the country code to identify location. As time has gone on and standards have relaxed, it is quite common to drop the country code and just have .org or .net.

How do I choose a domain name?
The domain name is your groups identifier on the World Wide Web. In tune with the philosophy of Web Services Made Simple it is recommended to choose a website name that is:
• Simple to spell and remember
• Short but not abbreviated
• Consistent with your group name

Who owns my domain name?
In the process of registering your domain name (eg. www.yourgroup.org), the key contact from your group will be listed as the domain owner. If at a later point your group makes the decision to move to a different provider, Web Services Made Simple would assist the transition to the new provider.

What are your payment terms and methods?

As the development and design of a website involves development time and also the purchase of domain name and hosting, the terms of payment are 12 months in advance.

Invoices will be emailed to the group contact for payment, as well as renewal invoices for ongoing hosting and support.

Payments can be made by:

Direct Deposit

Paypal

Details will be found on your invoice.

Why is there no GST?
Wsms is a small business and at present has turnover under the GST limit. Should turnover near the GST limit, GST may become payable. Existing customers will be advised well before this occurs.

What ongoing support is provided?  At what cost?

In the design and development phase information is being gathered and placed into the design.  In the first 3 calendar months after the website launch, there is often a settling in period where changes may be needed.  All changes are included in the cost of a one year agreement for the first 3 calendar months.  After that time your website can be updated once a month, upon request for the Basic Plan and once a fortnight for the Value Plan.  Note, an update can include multiple changes.  Should additional updates be requested afterwards during the same calendar month for the Basic Plan or during the same fortnight for the Value Plan, Web Services Made Simple reserve the right to charge a $10 fee for each additional update request.  Unfortunately unused monthly or fortnightly update requests do not carry over to the next and subsequent time periods.

Should there be a need for other website related support please email at any time.

I am not very technical and don’t understand internet jargon, can you make this easier for me to understand?
At Web Services Made Simple our main aim is to fill that gap of not knowing how to go about creating and maintaining a website. The goal is to form a partnership so that you don’t have to worry about the technical aspects. So long as you can provide the written information, photos and documents, they can be incorporated into the website in a stylish and effective manner.

Will my website be available at all times?

Yes.  All websites maintained by Web Services Made Simple are hosted using a 3^rd party website host.  Multiple redundant servers are used for hosting, enabling maintenance activities to be carried out without affecting the availability of the website.

What are your backup and restore capabilities?

All websites maintained by Web Services Made Simple make use of other companies to host websites.  The hosting arrangement provides secure hosting and constant availability by using multiple redundant servers.  The content of the website is backed up on a weekly basis and should a disaster occur at the hosting datacentre – backup copies can be restored within 24 hours.

I would like to process payments through my website.  Can I get an eCommerce website?

eCommerce – the ability to purchase or pay bills through a website falls under the Custom website build offered by Web Services Made Simple.  It is not a standard website build feature.  A separate project quote would be needed based on the complexity of requirements.

Can I link to Social Media?

All websites produced by Web Services Made Simple come with links to social media, (eg. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest etc.).  So long as the group has an account with the social media entity, the link can be made.  Please note that social media accounts are not created or maintained by Web Services Made Simple.

If your group is just starting out by creating a website, it is recommended that social media accounts be left for later, as it does take time and dedication to operate them effectively.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.  When keywords are typed into an internet search engine, (eg. Google, Yahoo, Bing), a list of websites are returned based on these keywords according to the selection algorithm of the search engine, usually based on popularity and the number of links to other sites.  SEO is the process of improving the ranking of websites so that they appear closer to the top of the results list.  In a commercial environment it takes time and money to optimise sites so that they climb the rankings.  For volunteer and non profit organisations this is less of a concern as generally the combination of suburb and scouts in a search engine will already be optimal to return the desired website.  When building your website, a range of searchable keywords will be included to direct searches to your site.

How secure is my data / information?

By the nature of the websites built and maintained by Web Services Made Simple all information contained should be available to the public.  Any sensitive information should not be stored on the website.  The domain registration will require the contact details from a member of the group and group contact information will be available on the website.  This normally does not pose any risk of spam attacks.

What is the software platform Web Services Made Simple uses?

At Web Services Made Simple websites are built using WordPress (https://wordpress.org/).  WordPress is a well established blogging tool, publishing platform and Content Management System all rolled into one.

WordPress is:

• Widely used
• Constantly updated
• Has a large user base (over 60 million users worldwide)

WordPress is an open source platform so there are no propriety software costs to pass on to the customer.  WordPress easily integrates with social media platforms – facebook, twitter, Instagram etc. should they be used.