Hello, I am Mario A. Lopez and Site Opus is my web design business.  I am a freelance web designer based in Chula Vista, CA with many years of experience in designing websites through various platforms.  I started doing web design as a hobby, but quickly realized how many people are in need of someone with my skill set.  I prefer to work closely with my clients because it gives them the opportunity to be part of the design process, and thus, more likely to be satisfied when the job is done.

My platform of choice is WordPress.  Over the years I have learned that what my clients really want is to have complete control of their content and not be tied to their web developer, who will most likely charge a hefty service fee for every update.  WordPress is a free open source site development tool and Content Management System (CMS) that allows my clients to edit the content within their site with ease.

SERVICES

LOGO DESIGN: I can design a logo that is right for your business.  Whether you are starting a new business, or looking to improve your current logo design, I can show you some design concepts that really suit your brand.  I will design three logo concepts and work until your needs are met.

CUSTOM WEBSITE DESIGN/DEVELOPMENT: If you want your site to stand out from the rest, then let me work on your website project.  I work closely with my clients to make sure that they are satisfied when the job is done.  From design to development, I will create a site that is both appealing and functional for your business.

VIDEOGRAPHY: Do you need a video to go with your website?  I can create your business promotional video to showcase your services or products.

ORGANIC SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO): Do you need your site’s search engine ranking to improve?  I can help your business maintain a steady competitive rank and increase your business’ potential.

THE PROCESS

PLAN: The first step I take when meeting with a client is to collect as much information about what they envision for their project.  This allows me to create a plan that will help me execute the project more efficiently.  During this process, expectations will be delineated for both parties.  This generally will involve discussing the client’s brief and project outline.  In this stage, the client has a little homework to do.  The client will be choosing the host, domain name, functionality and everything else in between.  After the client completes the previous task, I will meet with the client again and discuss the project in-depth and clarify what I can achieve.  Once in agreement, I will provide my proposal at a fixed rate for the project.  Please note that the project cost does not include any stock photography, artwork, or plugins that the client desires to use.

DESIGN: In this step the client will decide on a layout, the colors, the fonts, the overall style, and the various sections of the website. The client will supply content, images, and logo (unless the logo design is also part of the contract).  Once all the details have been discussed, I will create a mock-up of the site complete with dummy content and will be made available for review in my server (http://fortestingpurposesonly.com/your-site).  The mock-up may not be fully functional, but it will be a close representation of the actual site.

If the client is satisfied with the mock-up, I will move on to development.  During this process, there will be little communication with the client, as this is the most labor intensive aspect of the project.  However, communications may be necessary for approvals and to request actual content that has not been provided during the initial meeting.

REVIEW: Once the site is complete and tested, the client can do a final review and request minor changes.  In this final step, I will meet with my client for a complete training on the Content Management System and overall functionality and operation of the website.  This step is perhaps the easiest, but it is recommended that the client take notes.  Generally this step will take approximately 45 minutes to an hour.