SWEET SOLUTIONS is a small, independent web design business based in northwest OH USA. It is owned and operated by designer Patricia Petro with back-end tech support provided by Tom Schmidt of Schmidt and Associates.

SWEET SOLUTIONS has been in business since 2002. Since that time, we have designed and developed a wide array of web pages and have provided professional design services for various clients.

SWEET SOLUTIONS specializes in web design and development and offers:

• Custom design:
  • Personal, commercial, and corporate websites
  • Artist and photographer portfolios
  • Brochure sites
  • WordPress blogs or complete websites
  • Online stores with secure shopping carts
  • Slick newletters to dazzle clients
• Added Flair—to add pizzazz and jazz up your site:
  • Event calendars
  • Book calendars
  • Contact and registration forms
  • Photo galleries and slideshows
  • Dynamic menus and content
  • Ajax, jQuery and other scripts
• FREE thirty (30) day customer support on all custom projects.

SWEET SOLUTIONS is a small design firm. We only take on a limited number of projects and work on each individually, so we can give clients our personal, undivided attention from start-to-finish. We are committed to providing clients with great service, aesthetically pleasing designs, and standard-compliant web pages that effectively meet their specific needs. We have successfully completed every project undertaken and our track record for customer satisfaction is flawless. With every custom design, you can expect:

• An attractive layout having style, warmth, and beauty.
• A wide range of styles with your choice of graphics or photos.
• Solid, efficient HTML and/or PHP structure throughout.
• Clean, easy-to-read, manageable code.
• Quick-to-load, user-friendly pages with clear navigation to simplify browsing so visitors can find what they are looking for fast.
• All pages maximized with special emphasis on SEO.
• NO mistakes. . .we check spelling, grammar, and proofread everything before final release.
• Validated pages tested in the latest Internet Explorer and Firefox web browsers.
• Ease of maintenance to save ongoing costs.
• Honest, reliable, friendly customer service.
• Fast turnaround time.
• Reasonable prices.
• Thirty (30) days of FREE customer support.

There are no charges for our quotes or consultations. We freely invest the time to understand your needs so we can develop web solutions and affordable packages that are tailored to your budget and specific goals.

Because there are so many variables and each project is unique, custom costs vary. Costs generally depend on the type of project, number of pages, design elements used, amount of work to develop, and time needed to complete. A custom-designed 4-page website starts at $500. Our pricing is standard with the industry and, oftentimes, less than what other designers charge. If you are on a tight budget, we will work with you to put together an affordable package. We want to get you online and give you the most for your money.

Yes, we do offer discounts. However, we are selective and only take on one or two non-profit projects a year. Mention that you are non-profit when you request a quote. Your organization may qualify for reduced pricing.

PLEASE NOTE: Personal or business sites, where no profit is being made, are not considered non-profit organizations.

Designing your website or blog begins with a clear idea of what you want. Most people know what they want, but cannot articulate it. Nor can they visualize how their ideas and specific needs will fit into a layout that translates clearly online. Confusion is normal.

To start, we need information about your project—type of project, number of pages, and any special design features you would like. Email us the details—tell us what you want and when you want it. Provide as much information as possible so we can get back to you with an accurate quote. There is NO COST. . .NO OBLIGATION. If you decide to proceed, GREAT! If you change your mind for any reason, that's OK too.

When we have a fairly good handle on what you want, we detail a project outline and present it to you along with a cost estimate, time frame, and mockup of a proposed layout. You are welcome to add or subtract design elements to come up with a working plan for your site. When our proposal is accepted, we send you a contract (which is essentially the approved project outline, cost estimate, time frame, and copy of our Terms and Conditions) which we both sign. A 50% down payment of the total cost estimate is due at the time the contract is signed. When we receive payment, we will begin.

You can pay by check, money order, or with a credit card through PayPal. 50% down payment is due before we start; 50% balance plus additional fees incurred during the design procees, if any, are due when the project is completed. All funds are USD. There is a $25 fee if using PayPal. We do not accept cash.

Once we get started, it's go go go. Your project becomes our priority. Choices are made. Your project starts to take shape. We guide you every step of the way and, as your website (or blog) is developed, we provide screenshots so you can watch it grow. You have the final say in every decision. The end result is a website you can be proud to call home, delivered on time and within budget, that showcases you, your business, or organization beautifully.

Designing a great website is a detailed process where each page is hand-coded and meticulously tested for correct navigation, spelling, accuracy, and validation before final release. Timelines vary depending on the project. Generally, designing a layout might take a week or more, depending on the layout and number of pages. Once a layout is approved, it usually takes 1-3 days to develop, code, and complete each page. Don't quote us—there are a lot of factors that affect the time frame. Larger and more complex sites take more time. Blogs and newsletters may take less. Completing a project depends mostly on you. There will be decisions for you to make. . .text, photos, and/or graphics for you to provide. . .and every finished page will require your final approval. How quickly you respond will ultimately determine how long it takes to finish your project.

When we receive the balance due on the project, we will upload your site files to your server and conduct a final test. If you prefer, you can upload your site files yourself. A zip file of your website will be sent to you via email.

No, sorry, at this time we are only providing design service for US residents.

If, during the first thirty (30) days of custom work, you are not happy with the service you receive from SWEET SOLUTIONS, you may request, in writing, that your service be discontinued. A prorated refund, based on work completed, will be sent.

To work with your website, a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS is necessary.

If you are a newbie and unfamiliar with basic HTML/CSS/JavaScript, there are many helpful sites and forums online. For beginners, we highly recommend Lissa Explains It All. The site has clearly-written tutorials and a wealth of information that answer any and all questions on web design elements.

For information on working with WordPress and its many dynamic features, you can go directly to the WordPress site. We also recommend "WordPress for Dummies" by Lisa Sabin-Wilson, an easy-to-read book and useful reference for everything you need to know on the popular blogging platform.

With any SWEET SOLUTIONS custom website, you get thirty (30) days FREE customer support. During that time, we answer any questions you may have and help you to perform routine tasks and self-maintenance, such as simple text edits and graphic swaps. Your familiarity with HTML and CSS will help us help you.

Added flair are the things that make your site *pop* and stand out from the rest. If you are looking for ways to jazz up your site, SWEET SOLUTIONS can add these special features and more to your web layout:

Javascript Dynamic menus, top or side Mouseover/rollover effects Page transitions Live date/time Encrypted email Breadcrumbs Post-it notes Photo Galleries Thumbnail viewers Slideshows and Content Sliders Lightbox, Facebox, Fancybox Watermarking Thumbnail viewers jQuery galleries eCommerce Shopping carts

Live Content Contact forms with Captcha Deluxe PHP registration forms Event calendars Booking calendars Newsletter sign-up forms Embedded Audio/Video Movie trailers Flash films Background music Sound clips Other Design Elements Pop-up pages Pop-up images

Can't find what you want on our list? Ask us about it.

SWEET SOLUTIONS offers no warranties on your ability or inability to use a custom designed website. Also, because of their digital nature, there is no refund on custom work or other design work once the files have been sent.

SWEET SOLUTIONS provides free 30-day customer support on all completed custom projects . There are also online reference sites, such as Lissa Explains It All, that provide a wealth of knowledge about HTML and website design.

If you feel you will be unable to maintain your website once it is completed, you can hire us for ongoing maintenance or full site management to ensure that your investment is protected.

During the 30-day customer support, we troubleshoot any problems you may have at no extra charge. After 30 days, repairs are billed at our current hourly rate (one hour minimum each instance).

If your existing, older website looks funky, is loading slowly, has sloppy code running together on its pages, unsightly formatting errors, obsolete or degraded HTML tags, broken links, spelling mistakes, or missing graphics or pages, we can clean it up. Contact us for a free quote.

Don't panic. Having a website is not all that complicated. Once it is designed and online, it is just a matter of making updates. . .and if you do not want to make the updates yourself, you can hire us to do them for you.

The first two things you need to do:

• Register a domain name — your web address (www.yoursite.com).
• Sign up with a hosting service — We do not host websites, but there are plenty of people who do. Just GOOGLE "hosting service." If you need a hand in choosing a service best suited for you, we would be more than happy to help.
  
  SWEET SOLUTIONS has been hosted by Lunarpages since 2002. Their fees are reasonable, their servers are reliable, customer service is prompt and effective, and they offer free domain registration with their annual plans.

After you have a domain name and hosting service, contact us for a FREE quote. Let us know what you want. We will walk you through the design process and do our best to make it an easy, exciting, ultimately rewarding experience.

• We do not extend credit nor barter our services.
• We will not copy other designers' work no matter how much you LOVE the layout and beg us to change the main photo and/or graphics so it will look different.
• We do not lie, cheat, or steal.
• We do not offer HTML/XHTML/CSS/JavaScript/flash classes, training, tech support, and/or group therapy. Sorry.