Generator frequently asked questions

You've got questions. We've got answers! Check out our brief listing of the most frequently asked questions from clients and soon to be clients.

What is Generator?

Generator is a unique combination of people who team together to provide a wide range of services for people who need to find, communicate with, and sell things to a loyal niche audience. We do web site design, package design, online community promotion, ecommerce sales, manufacturing and fulfillment, online and off-line promotion and marketing, Flash and print advertising design, download cards, posters, Podcasts® — pretty much anything an independent publishing entity might need, but might not be able to afford if they had to piece it all together one part at a time.

Just as important as the technology side, we provide a sounding board and tireless customer support to help our clients get the very most out of their energies, talents and investment in their business. We keep our clients up to date on trends in the market, help them think up new marketing ideas, and when we can connect them together in ways that make a greater impact than if they were working independently.

Why did you start Generator?

Generator was started as a response to a need in the market for a company that provided very powerful online fan connections at a price most independent artists, authors and publishers could afford. We're the web site company for the rest of us — the middle class.

How do you price things?

While there's never a one-size-fits-all answer to this, most clients want a custom designed site, and the ability to manage their site day to day without the help of a programmer. In the vast majority of cases, there is a site design charge, a programming charge, and a monthly site content management license. Normal custom sites are usually launched for between $3000.00 and $6000.00, with monthly license fees that are measured in hundreds and never thousands of dollars.

Why are you so much cheaper than your competition?

We get this question a lot. First, the software that our competition has developed over the last 10 years cost them millions of dollars to develop. Obviously, they need to pass that cost on to their customers. But the Internet has changed very rapidly over the last three years, and that allowed us to start out where they are now — and jump way ahead of the curve. That means we now provide an even more powerful publishing platform than they offer for a fraction of what they charge.

Second, we are a smaller company than they are. We don't have the overhead they have to pay for. When you need more help, we go get it. If you don't need it, we don't require you to pay for it. It's that simple.

How do you estimate projects?

First, we spend time getting to know you and your needs. Then we take a look at what we have in our toolbox, and what we've done for other clients in similar situations. Then we get together and make you a proposal — we tell you what we would do if we were in your situation. That comes with a simple estimate of costs, a pretty tight timeline to get it done, and the opportunity for you to tweak the plan to best fit your budget and marketing goals.

And we guarantee that your bill will match our estimate to the penny. No surprises — no kidding.

For more information, go to our Pricing page.

How do you manage ecommerce?

Basically, there are several ways to approach ecommerce. Most of our clients install the powerful and elegant Generator storefront, which is fully integrated into your site's administrative back end. We will teach you how to monitor your sales and watch your trends. We can also link to an outside storefront that you manage yourself, at no charge to you. We will not, however, install, manage or fulfill a third party storefront.

Speaking of fulfillment...

We offer sales and fulfillment for all of the stores running on the GeneratorTools platform. We track sales and inventory, and reconcile your account at the end of every month.

Do you design packaging?

Yes, we can design and manufacture CDs, DVDs, books or other media. In fact, we've done brand packaging for almost every major book and music publishing company in the world. You can check out our print design portfolio by clicking here.

How do you manage email?

Email is the single most cost-effective method of marketing your products, and all Generator clients use email in a variety of ways. Our email system is fully integrated into each site's member database, image library and ecommerce engine. You can have us design any variety of custom email templates for use at your site, and then sort your own member database to send out targeted email messages.

That said, we also work to integrate with and support an off-Generator email service provider. We regularly work with Emma and other popular email marketers to make the user and client experience as seamless as possible.

How do you do concert ticketing?

Generator has an exclusive relationship with Ticket Force™, one of the largest and most reputable ticketing agencies in America. Ticket Force™ offers a variety of ways to help our clients get the most out of their live event marketing opportunities. Among them, we can set up a private ticketing box office at any artist site, branded to look and feel exactly as the main site itself — so your fans never fell as though they have left your home base. Among other things, this enables our clients to collect 100% of the customer data from every ticket transaction, helping you expand your email list with every show. And on top of that, you take the pressure of ticketing off the shoulders of the promoter, freeing him up to do what he does best: Fill the hall.

We can provide a detailed proposal for concert ticketing at your request. For more information about concert ticketing with Generator/Ticket Force™, click here.

What programming language are you based on?

Our web sites and content management system is based on the Microsoft APS.net programming language. ASP.net has been instrumental in enabling the easy integration of databases as well as more advanced business and application logic that the Web is known for today. GeneratorTools was built from the ground up on ASP.net 2.0, and utilizes all of the most modern features of that programming platform.

Got more questions? We'd be happy to grab lunch and chat. Give us a call at 615.790.7300, or drop us an email.