OK, you asked for it.

Here is what we do in gory detail.

Please do not feel you need to understand all of this.  The whole point of getting someone to build a website for you is that you do not need to know the detail.  We did think people should know what they get for their money though, so here it is.          

 

Action ZMW Most other developers   Comments
Setup        
Setup email address for hosting etc We set this up and, when the website is ready, we pass on ALL passwords and information to you Most developers will not set up a new email to manage the website, they will use their own email.  This means you do not get the information directly and ties you into an annual contract.  

 

 Passing all the information to  you means YOU are in charge in future - you can get a friend to make changes, you can come back to ZWM to ask about other work, or you can go to another company.   The only thing we ask is PLEASE do not let others change these passwords without telling you. That makes it really hard to regain control of your website.

 

Fees for domain names and hosting are not included in our package.  See the costs section below for more details. 
Setup hosting account We set this up and, when the website is ready, we pass on ALL passwords and information to you Most developers will set up a hosting account for you, but they will keep the login and passwords secret so that only they can edit the website.  
Installing a content management system We document all the tools and extensions that we instal, making future changes easy. Most developers do not fully document their work, which makes it hard to make changes in future if this is required.   
Registering a domain name We can register a domain name (web address) for you as part of the service.  We will register any domain in your name, so that you get the right to renew, not us. Most developers will register a name for you, but they will do it in their name.  This makes it really hard to renew if they go out of business or you want to ask someone else to help you with your website.  
Install modules and components that improve the functionality of Joomla! We also add additional extensions, all of which are included in the fee. Most developers will make an additional charge for extra features, and charge even more time to deal with "compatibility issues".  

NONE of the features demonstrated on this site require an additional fee.

It is of course possible that you have some unusual requirements that will need extra work.  If this is the case, the options and any costs will be explained clearly in advance.   
 Layout         
Agreeing the layout We talk to you about the layout, showing you sample websites and agree the position of menus etc Some designers will charge you separately for the design of the site.  With us, it is all included in the single fee.    

At every stage, we discuss the plans with you, letting you see the effect of changes.  To do this well, we ask that you are available to review changes we are making.  
Installing content We will install all the initial content for you - text, pictures, videos etc.

Some designers will help you write the content, interviewing you about your business and creating suitable articles.  To keep costs down, we do not do that, we expect you to write most of the text yourself.

  

This is limited to a reasonable number of pages - say 10 pages with a maximum of 20 pictures.  Call us to discuss if this is likely to be a problem, but remember you can add hundreds of pages yourself.
Setting up users We set up users that can add articles, pictures etc Most developers do not allow you to change anything.  They retain all the control and charge you for any changes.  

Some users may be allowed to add articles, others only to see articles.  The system is totally flexible.
Handover        
Testing

We test the site then show it to you and allow you to test it.

 I hope everyone does this!   We will only hand over a site when you are happy with it.
Training We show you how to add articles and multimedia content over the phone or skype. Many developers do not allow you to add articles yourself.  If they do, they are often looking at a full day or a half-day of onsite training.  

While we call this "training" it will only take 20 minutes or so, as it is basically a case of selecting a menu option and typing text, or selecting a photo to upload.
Reference information We hand over ALL the information you will ever need in a short two-page document We do not know ANYONE else who does this - lays out all of the information and passwords you could ever need (even though you won't need most of them for regular updates) and hands it over in a clear table.  

This is one of our unique features - we build the site then hand over all the info to you, so you are free to get anyone else to help if that is ever needed.
Fees        
Zero Maintenance Websites fee We make a single charge so you know exactly where you stand.   Most developers charge you extra for any additional features such as the inclusion of picture carousels, video and search facilities.  They also set up the website so that they are the only ones able to add pages, which means you have to pay every time you want a change.    You will be able to add and edit pages using a simple word processor, so you do not have to pay anyone to make changes - you can add or change a page in seconds.
Hosting fee (in other words, getting a place to store all the files that form your website). We will arrange hosting for you, but we transfer the hosting to your name, so you remain in control.  You make the payment direct to the hosting provider. Most developers will arrange hosting, but will do it in their own name, which can cause difficulties if you chose to move to another provider or if the developer goes out of business.   The costs of hosting vary, but for most websites with normal web traffic costs are around £50 or $65 per annum.  While ZMW can set this up for you, the fee goes direct to the hosting service with no charge or commision to ZMW.
Domain Name registration (in other words, getting a URL or website address). We can arrange registration for you, but we transfer the registration to your name, so you remain in control.  You make the payment direct to the Registrar. Most developers will arrange domain name registration, but will do it in their own name, which can cause difficulties if you chose to move to another provider or if the developer goes out of business.    The costs of owning a domain name are a few pounds or dollars per annum, paid directly to the company registering the domain. ZMW can set this up for you, but the fee goes direct to the registering company with no charge or commision to ZMW.