Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Yes, you do.  If you already have one, you can use it for your TIER Package.  If you do not have one, you will need to register one.  Domain name registrations must be renewed annually.

We can do it for you, if you prefer.  Our rate is $25 to register a basic .com or .net domain and manage the settings.

There are a few do's and don'ts when it comes to registering and managing a domain name for your website.  In accordance with AMSOIL's G4000 manual, you are not allowed to register or use any domain that contains the word "amsoil" in it.  Please keep that in mind if you decide to register a domain for yourself.  It would be a shame to spend the money on registering a domain that you ultimately would not be allowed to use for your website.

If we register and manage your domain for you, we will make the necessary configuration changes to the Domain Name Server (DNS) settings so that your domain points to our web hosting server.  If you manage your domain in your own registrar account, we will provide you with the necessary server settings so you can log into your domain account and update the DNS.

Too many choices?  Sometimes it seems that way, especially if you don't know what results to expect.  And if you're not tech-savvy about websites, choosing the right web solution for yourself can be confusing or maybe even intimidating.

Of course, we're in the business of equipping independent oil dealers with web solutions.  But it serves no good purpose to "oversell" or "undersell" a website package.  For both you and us, it's important that your needs are met and you remain a happy customer.  With that goal in mind, we want to eliminate any confusion, get your questions answered, and supply you with the website solution that's the best fit for you.

If you're wondering which of our TIER Packages is most fitting for your business (and your budget), here are a few guidelines to consider:

TIER 1 Package

Our TIER 1 Package is a single, static web page.  If you're just getting started in your dealership, have a very tight budget, and are willing to do the legwork of approaching customers one-by-one, this might be the right option. It is designed for the small dealer who occasionally wants to refer friends or family to their business.

• It gives you a "placeholder" on the Internet where you can send customers with your domain name.
• All the links on the web page contain your referral number, so you know when someone clicks to buy oil, register as a Preferred Customer, join your team as a dealer, etc. you will get credit for the transaction.
• It's a minimal web presence, but it gives you something to put on a business card, a flyer, a brochure, etc.
• Content updates must be performed by JobberDesigns via our add-on services.  There is no content management system (CMS) available to make changes to the website page.  If you want to perform your own updates, please look at our TIER 3 or TIER 4 Packages.
• If you plan to do Social Media Marketing (SMM), any marketing with Google Ads, or other pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, it can serve as your landing page for your ads.
• It is NOT a good choice if you plan to do organic Search Engine Marketing (SEM), because one of the earmarks that Google uses to identify a credible web presence for organic search engine positioning is a five-page (or more) website.  (Google uses this criterion to distinguish reliable websites from spammy "squeeze page" marketing sites.)
• You should be realistic in your expectations with this package, considering the above pointers.  It is a starting point, but it will not be a web presence that will dominate on the search engines or create a cascade of incoming customers on its own.  You will mostly have to rely on your own efforts to send customers to your web page.

TIER 2 Package

Our TIER 2 Package is a big step up from a single web page option.  It's a good choice for a part-time dealer who is pursuing their business venture as a "Plan B" sideline but wants a professional web presence.  When customers visit a website, this is the traditional layout and feel that they typically expect to see.  If you live in a relatively small community and/or there are not a lot of fellow dealers competing for sales in your area, this could be the perfect fit for you.

• It's a complete 5-page design, making it viable for Google to index it as a credible website.  (Google likes to see 5+ pages for organic search engine indexing.)
• It conveys a professional web presence with enough content and customized details for your dealership for search engines to index the site for organic placement.  (Search engines determine organic page placement for a given set of keywords, so we cannot make any guarantee or prediction of how well your site will be ranked).
• Content updates must be performed by JobberDesigns via our add-on services.  There is no content management system (CMS) available to make changes to the website.  If you want to perform your own updates, please look at our TIER 3 or TIER 4 Packages.
• Your site can be effectively marketed with organic Search Engine Marketing (SEM) via off-site blogs, press releases, etc. that we (or another competent web developer) can provide.  (See our Add-On Services Page.)
• It's designed as a basic entry-level website solution that you do not plan to change often.  It is a static website that is provided without access to content management tools.  If you want to make changes, you will need to contact us to do so on an hourly basis.
• It comes with true, domain-based email accounts for credibility.  In other words, you will have email with @yourdomain.com versus @gmail.com or another generic address.  You can also forward emails to your third-party Gmail (or other) email account.
• This is a great option for a professional quality website to showcase your dealership and get basic exposure for your business.
• If you live in a large population where there are many competing dealers, this might NOT be your best option from a search engine marketing standpoint.  (In such a situation, a better option might be a web presence with a blog page for fresh monthly content.)

TIER 3 Package

Our TIER 3 Package is where a serious dealer should begin.  This web solution is appropriate for a full-time dealer or a motivated part-time dealer whose intention it is to grow into a full-time dealership.

• The website has content controls to allow pages to be edited by the website owner (or someone they designate).
• The site is equipped with a blog page.  We've made it easy to post to the blog by configuring the website to automatically typeset the blog posts onto the blog page.
• Because there is an on-site blog, the site can be readily marketed organically for search engine purposes by adding fresh content monthly (or more or less frequently).
• The site tracks basic traffic analytics to provide the owner with meaningful feedback on visitors.
• The image library built into the website allows page changes without needing to do image editing and image optimization.
• This website contains all of the essential moving parts necessary to establish and promote a full-time business on the Internet, as well as basic content management controls.
• If you are NOT inclined to make changes to your own website, or you have no intent to organically promote/market your website to search engines, then this website may be more than you need (in which case, consider the TIER 2 Package, instead.)

TIER 4 Package

Our TIER 4 Package is basically "the whole enchilada".  It definitely applies and appeals to full-time dealers who want a complete design with the ability to add not only blog posts, but website pages.  It's geared towards dealers with larger teams and comes equipped with time-leveraging management and marketing tools built into the design.

• The website is not restricted to the initial nine pages.  You are able to add as many new pages as you want by using the content management controls.
• The site is equipped with user-enhancements for your customers' and dealers' convenience.
  • The built-in calendar tool allows you to display upcoming events where you plan to be (meetings, car shows, etc.)
  • Using the built-in appointment scheduler, you can configure your website to allow customers and dealers to request appointments with you (for pickup and deliver, training, etc.) within specific timeframes that you decide.
  • The online language translator seamlessly allows your visitors to switch the website's language to something they are more fluent in reading.
  • A basic store locator is included with the website, so you can configure it to show your retail locations and/or locations of your team dealerships.
  • The website is equipped with basic Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality to allow you to send newsletters to your customers and/or dealers.
  • The tool and resource functionality listed above are built into the website.  You will need to configure them to your preference and specifications.
• This site is designed with the Do-It-Yourselfer in mind.  The initial design is "Top Tier" professional without you having to lift a finger, but you have the controls and access to change almost every aspect of how each page displays.
• If you are NOT someone who likes to learn how to set up and configure tools and widgets online, this site may be a bigger bite than you want to chew.  But it's absolutely the cream-of-the-crop of our TIER Packages.

Custom-Built Design

Finally, there's the option to get a custom-build for your website solution.  Two things to consider with this option: time, and money.  Custom-built website designs are significantly more expensive (typically in Thousand$) than our TIER Packages.  And they take several weeks (or months) to produce, depending on the level of sophistication and scope of work involved in the project.  We're not trying to talk you out of a custom-built solution if that's the right answer for you.  But for most advanced and successful full-time dealerships, the TIER 3 or TIER 4 Package is a great fit at a significant cost (and time) savings.  That said, if you know that a custom-build is your best bet, then you can start the Proposal process by visiting our Dealer Packages Page and selecting the "Get Questionnaire" button in the Project-Based Custom Design section.

Great question, so let's dig into it.

By including a Shop page on your website there is content relevant to registering Preferred Customers, requesting an AMSOIL® catalog, and so on.  Encouraging your customers to register as Preferred Customers helps protect your business.  It shares the value of the Preferred Customer program with your website's visitors while it serves to protect the customer from being assigned to, transferred to, or registered by a competing dealer.

Of course, the Preferred Customer Registration link, Catalog Request link, Buy AMSOIL Now link, and other links take visitors to AMSOIL's website via your ZO# to ensure you receive credit for any resulting sales.

The second point to consider is that the Shop page on your TIER Package site has AMSOIL-relevant keywords to help with search engine visibility.  In comparison, many dealers' websites from other web developers simply include a link to AMSOIL's site with a referral link.  Just placing a link on your website to send customers to AMSOIL does nothing to get your website found on search engines.  Search engines like Google, Bing, etc. index the content of your website.  Our website provides textual content, alt-tag content, meta-data content, etc. to allow search engines to determine that YOUR website is relevant to AMSOIL products.

Another point to consider is that search engines (specifically Google) use page count as one of the many criteria to discern spam "squeeze page" sites from legitimate commerce websites.  Domain authority, as it's called, is based on a combination of factors.  And your website's content quality affects not only your organic search engine merit, but also the quality score that Google assigns your website, directly impacting your cost-per-click if you advertise with Google AdWords.  In creating websites for AMSOIL dealers, we specifically make it a point to adhere to Google's "best practices" for web developers.  This adds to your website's credibility and search engine merit for marketing purposes.  The Shop page is one of the pages we include for this purpose.

If you're serious about using the power of the Internet to expand your business and leverage your time, having a search-engine-friendly website is important.  Many websites on the Internet are treated like little more than "online brochures", rather than business power tools.  Keep in mind, there is more to a successful web presence than just the "look and feel" of the website design.  There are additional considerations that dovetail into how well the website performs with both your customers and the search engines.  We take all of these details into account with your TIER Package web design.

A customized website is one that begins from a template and is then modified to be more specific to the content you want.  In comparison, a custom website is one that is built from a blank page.

Generally speaking, template-based websites are faster and easier to build because much of the time-consuming work is done when the template is created.  Customizing the template to adjust text content, pictures, and minor layout changes allows a new website to be created in hours or days, rather than weeks or months.  The end result is a robust website that presents your business in a professional, attractive and individualized way, though the overall layout may bear similarity to other websites born from the same template.

Custom websites are truly original designs, from the ground up.  Accordingly, there is a lot more time and preparation in first developing an initial "look and feel", and then building each page one at a time.  It's typical that a dozen or more hours go into the initial design before the first page begins production.  The end result should be a unique expression that showcases your business with power, elegance, and finesse.

JobberDesigns.com does both: custom and customized websites.

Our custom designs: When we create a custom design, your project is given the due diligence and attention it deserves when creating your web presence from scratch.

Our customized designs: When we create customized designs (as with the TIER Packages), we actually begin by producing multiple custom designed websites and website components.  We invest the hours to produce quality templates for a particular niche market.  Then we create packages that bring together the various pieces, so the end result is a customized design with the functionality and features common to a custom design.  In other words, our TIER Packages provide an economy of scale comparable to what a template provides, but the designs are built custom for the Independent Oil Dealer niche market.  For the more advanced TIER Packages (TIER 3 and TIER 4), the websites are equipped with the flexibility to make further changes, enhancements and additions to the website's appearance.

Getting your website found on search engines like Google or Bing starts with understanding a few simple concepts. Search engines want to show useful, credible websites to their users. A website with at least five or more pages is often viewed as more legitimate because it contains enough information to be worth indexing. Each page should serve a clear purpose and connect naturally to the others, forming a complete, trustworthy site.

Before marketing begins, your website should be optimized—this means structuring your pages, titles, and content so search engines can easily understand what your business offers. Optimization is like tuning a car before a race: it prepares your site to perform well once marketing begins.  When you see the term "SEO", that's what it means- "Search Engine Optimization".

After optimization, the next step is marketing, which comes in two main forms—organic and subscribed.

• Organic marketing involves earning traffic naturally over time. This includes publishing blog posts, distributing press releases, and listing your site in relevant online directories. These efforts build long-term visibility and credibility.  If your website has an on-site blog, you can add fresh content to your site to trigger search engines to index your content more often, leading to better rankings.  Off-site blogs and content sources that contain links pointing to your website help build your website's authority as well.  A solid organic search campaign uses these techniques to funnel qualified traffic to your website.  Since organic content accumulates over time and remains on the web even if you discontinue marketing at a later date, effective organic campaigns have "staying power" for the long term.  However, it takes a while for organic campaigns to gain traction, so it may take several months to achieve good results.  The key is consistent effort over time, following the search engine's published best practices.

• Subscribed marketing is another type of Search Engine Marketing (SEM).  It drives traffic quickly through paid methods such as pay-per-click (PPC) search ads and display ads on other websites.  Subscribed SEM gives nearly instantaneous results because it's paid advertising.  It's usually based on a daily budget spend, and the cost per click for a pay-per-click campaign will vary based on quality of content, relevance of content to your keyword selections, and competitive demand within your market.  Though visibility is achieved quickly, if you discontinue subscribed marketing, your website becomes instantly invisible again.

A strong strategy usually includes both approaches. Understanding these basics helps you make an informed decision when hiring a marketing company to manage your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) efforts.

Jobber Designs websites are built with search engine optimization.  If you intend to do marketing, be sure to have at least a TIER 2 Package to ensure at least 5 web pages.  Likewise, if your intent is to do organic marketing with an on-site blog, a TIER 3 Package is the best starting point.  If you are interested in having us perform your marketing (rather than doing it yourself), please visit our Add-On Services Page and consider our Search Engine Marketing services.

It depends.

If you are using an independent, "generic" email account such as Gmail, AOL, Outlook.com, etc., then your email account won't be affected.

If you currently use a domain-based email account for your domain name, then we have to look a little deeper to explore how you have it set up:

• If you are using a forwarding service that relays emails addressed to your.name@YourDomain.com to arrive in your "generic" Gmail, AOL, etc. account, then you're still fine.  Our hosting includes email forwarders, so we would just need to create them once you change your Domain Name Server (DNS) settings.
• If you are using an actual domain-based email account with a third-party provider such as Google Workspace, a Microsoft Exchange Server, or a different hosting company that has been providing email services, there's a bit of work to be done:
  • You can leave the email service where it is (and not use the email service we provide), in which case you would continue to pay your email provider for their services and point your domain to our hosting service solely for website hosting, not email, OR
  • You can back up your email files and folders, point your domain's DNS settings to our servers, and then import your backup into the new email account that resides on our hosting server.

In short, email settings and migration can be a sticky topic.  There are a lot of "if this, then do that" situations that can make it a little complicated.  Since everyone's situation is a little different, when it comes to protecting and migrating your email service when you make a domain DNS change, it's best if we have a conversation about your unique circumstances before flipping any switches.

Yes.  Your website (or web page if you use the TIER 1 Package) will be equipped with an SSL certificate.  SSL stands for "Secure Socket Layer", and it is what encrypts your web content to allow better privacy for your site.

The primary purpose of an SSL certificate is to encrypt information exchanged between a user’s browser and the website’s server.

• This prevents hackers from reading sensitive data like passwords, credit card numbers, or personal details.

• The encryption turns plain text into unreadable code during transmission.

Once an SSL certificate is installed, your website uses HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) instead of HTTP.

• The browser displays a padlock icon in the address bar.

• This signals to visitors that the connection is secure.

The SSL certificate has other benefits as well:

• Google and other search engines prioritize HTTPS sites in search rankings.

• Many browsers (like Chrome) warn users when a site lacks SSL, labeling it “Not Secure.”

• Having SSL builds credibility with customers—especially for e-commerce or login-based websites.

We build all of our websites using WordPress.  There are a several very good reasons for using WordPress for both our TIER Packages as well as our custom designs.  Here they are:

• WordPress sites are the most popular on the web, because they are not "proprietary" to a particular company.  WordPress sites comprise about 44% of all websites on the internet, and about 63% of websites that use a Content Management System (CMS).
• WordPress is "open source" meaning that any web developer can submit applications and programs (called "plugins") to be reviewed and approved by WordPress.  As a result, there is a large variety of modular functionality that can be added to almost any WordPress site.
• WordPress is actively managed and growing.  It is evolving and being updated constantly to keep up with advances in technology.
• The content management functionality is fairly easy to learn, so website owners find it empowering to make updates and revisions to their own content without having to pay a website developer for every "happy" to "glad" change.
• WordPress is very forgiving.  If a customer finds that they made a mistake on their website, the "undo" button makes it easy to take a step back without losing their work.
• There is a surplus of free tools and training available for learning how to use WordPress.
• WordPress is simple enough to support working with pre-built themes and modular components but is powerful enough to allow custom coding with programming in HTML, PHP, JavaScript, and many other languages.

When we build a custom website, we start with a basic WordPress installation.  Then we procure a license for a powerful page builder theme, Avada.  We begin with a blank page and start the design process of creating the custom layout.  The Avada theme comes packaged with a wide array of plugins, widgets, and features to enhance appearance and performance.  Along the way, we add additional free and premium licensed plugins to tailor the design to meet our client's needs and expectations.

When we customize the TIER Package websites, we do so with the custom design we originally created for the package.  We use either Elementor (TIER 1 and TIER 2) or Avada Page Builder (TIER 3 and TIER 4) to add, edit, and adjust the content accordingly.  The functionality of the TIER Packages is produced through multiple premium licensed plugins.

By using developer/agency versions of the licensed plugins, we're able to equip each site with more functionality at a lower cost than what an individual would pay if they procured all of the same licenses on their own.  That's how we're able to produce such high quality, capable designs for such a low one-time startup fee.  A comparable custom website from other web design companies could easily (and realistically) cost three to five thousand dollars.

Typical setup times are as follows:

• TIER 1 Web Pages: 1-2 business days
• TIER 2 Static Websites: 2-4 business days
• TIER 3 Basic Customized Websites: 4-7 business days
• TIER 4 PRO Customized Websites: 5-10 business days

These times aren't set in stone.  They are averages based on historical data from our past and present production schedule.

For your peace of mind and to ensure you aren't "stuck in limbo" if you are changing service provides to Jobber Designs (thank you), we won't charge your credit card and we won't have you make any changes to your domain name's configuration until we are actively ready to begin your project.

This means that we'll be communicating with you to finalize all the content details before making any visual changes to your existing web presence or financial outlays.  We want to be sure that your existing email accounts (if any) are prepared to migrate (if necessary), that we have your correct profile information, and so on.

Then, when all the "t's" are crossed and all the "i's" are dotted, we'll charge your credit card and update your domain settings.  You'll initially have a nicely designed "coming soon" page for a short time while we put the finishing touches on your project.  Then in short order, your "coming soon" page will be replaced with your new web presence.