Frequently Asked Questions
Thanks for your interest in Howard Development & Consulting! I'm excited for the opportunity to work with you. The answers below will provide an introduction to my services, my philosophy and how my projects work. If you have any more questions, give me a call at (303) 800-6075 or drop me an e-mail at info@howarddc.com.
Rob Howard
President, Howard Development & Consulting, LLC
Table of Contents
- What services do you provide?
- How do you price your projects?
- What's the workflow for a typical project?
- How long will development take for my project?
- My last web developer totally bailed! What makes you different?
- Where are you located?
- What's the history of Howard Development & Consulting?
- What's your business philosophy?
What services do you provide?
I provide a start-to-finish suite of web development services, with a focus on sites that are powered by PHP/MySQL-based content management systems. Here's a sampling of the technologies I use and services I provide for the typical project:
Development:
- Pixel-perfect HTML/CSS development from your Photoshop designs
- JavaScript for drop-downs, slideshows, AJAX and advanced animations
- Content management system development with ExpressionEngine and Wordpress
- Advanced add-ons and functionality, such as e-commerce, member areas, discussion forums, search engine optimization and much more
- Custom PHP/MySQL development, including integration with a variety of APIs and custom add-ons
- Setup and installation of your new site on your client's web server
Consulting:
- Pre-project planning to help you choose the right approach to accomplish your client's goals
- Consulting with you and/or your client by phone and e-mail throughout the project
- Training and documentation for you and/or your client, allowing you to take full control of site updates after launch
- A friendly face and quick response whenever you have a question on any of your web projects
There are also a few areas I don't specialize in, such as advanced Flash development and Microsoft .NET development. In those cases, I will reach out to my network of colleagues and contractors to help you find a good fit for that portion of your project.
For a list of projects categorized by technology, check out my portfolio »
How do you price your projects?
I price all my projects based on a fixed project fee – you will always know from the outset what deliverables you'll receive and exactly what the development budget will be. When we first scope out a project, I'll give you a ballpark estimate based on the basic requirements within about 24 hours of our conversation. If that estimate sounds like a good fit, we'll move on to finalizing the project requirements and creating a detailed statement of work with a fixed schedule and project fee.
What's the workflow for a typical project?
Most of my projects are full-site builds, starting with HTML/CSS development from your Photoshop designs, moving on to content management system development based on your site map and requirements, and finishing with the launch of the site and training for you and/or your client in CMS administration. I can also jump in to provide each of these services as one piece of a larger project.
My goal is to train you and/or your client to update your site's content without the help of a web developer. We'll do phone and/or e-mail training sessions, and I'll work with you through the initial population of site content so you can be fully in control of your site's destiny after launch.
I'll also provide consulting in the early stages of the project, helping you determine the best technologies and approaches to achieve your client's goals. In fact, I always like to have a project on my radar as far in advance as possible so I can keep my schedule open and help you make the most of the design and planning stages.
How long will development take for my project?
For the average full-build content management project, I'll generally deliver a final version of the site within 4 to 8 weeks of the delivery of the final requirements and Photoshop designs. Every project is different, so I'll provide a detailed schedule as part of the full statement of work I create at the beginning of each project.
My last web developer totally bailed! What makes you different?
Believe it or not, the vast majority of my clients come to me with horror stories about previous developers who missed deadlines, lacked communication skills, or disappeared entirely when they were needed most. It's a shame that there are so many bad web developers out there – and that's why I've made it a cornerstone of my business to be the developer who you're proud to call a part of your team.
My approach is different because I came up in the world of advertising, journalism and graphic design. I've run my own design firms, built my own web start-ups and even edited my own daily newspaper, so I'm no stranger to tight deadlines and working as part of a large and diverse team. As we work together, you'll find that you can trust me to meet every milestone, impress your clients during phone calls and always be ready to help with web questions large and small.
My goal is to become your go-to web developer and consultant, the first person you come to for advice and planning when a new web project comes your way. My unfailing responsiveness and expertise will help you deliver faster, higher-quality projects to your clients and – perhaps even more importantly – make your life easy along the way.
Where are you located?
I live in Castle Rock, Colorado (just south of Denver), and I work with clients around the country. I have big client bases in Boston and Washington, D.C., where I've lived and worked in the past, and my Mountain time zone makes it easy for me to stay in touch with clients on both the east and west coasts.
What's the history of Howard Development & Consulting?
I've been developing web sites professionally for more than 11 years, and I started Howard Development & Consulting as my solo project in February 2009. I've built web sites for Harvard, MIT and the Holocaust Museum, and my web start-ups have been praised in BusinessWeek, Entertainment Weekly and PC Magazine.
Prior to Howard Development & Consulting, I was a founding partner and development director of Upstatement, a Boston design firm; and a co-founder and lead developer of DivShare, an online storage and sharing start-up that I sold in early 2009 with more than 1 million registered users on board. I graduated Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Communications in three years with a dual degree in Advertising and History, and during my time at Syracuse I was the editor in chief of The Daily Orange, a 10,000-circulation daily independent student newspaper.
What's your business philosophy?
I've been passionate about building web sites – both as a business and a hobby – since the Internet came around, and I've found a wonderful niche as a web developer and consultant for designers and creative firms. I've crafted a business and lifestyle that's a perfect fit for me – and built a lot of long-lasting partnerships among my colleagues and clients in the process.
My goal is to help you deliver bigger, better web projects to your clients – and I hope that the more you work with me, the more your web design business succeeds and grows. I'm lucky enough to be able to make my clients smile and help them grow their businesses by doing something I truly enjoy – and I'd love to have the opportunity to make your web projects easier too.
Contact Rob today at (720) 708-6590 or info@howarddc.com.