Resource Center & FAQ

Billing & Costs

• Why $90/month after October 1?
  It currently costs LIAA about $92/month to keep each legacy site secure and available. We’ve streamlined our operations to bring the rate down to $90/month for this transition period. For most clients, our rates have remained unchanged for over 15 years, and this adjustment ensures we can continue providing reliable service while the legacy platform is phased out.

• How do I get the special rebuild incentive?
  Clients who choose to rebuild with LIAA will receive a $200 credit toward migration labor and a waived data export fee. This incentive rewards your commitment to rebuilding while allowing us to keep legacy hosting rates consistent for all clients.

• I received an invoice before October 1st. Why?
  Our records indicated you were not on a current annual support agreement. To ensure continuous service for all clients during this transition, we issued a final pro-rated invoice to formalize your support and hosting through September 30, 2025.

Process & Deadlines

• What happens if I haven’t selected a migration or rebuild partner before October 1?
  Starting October 1, legacy sites are billed at the $90/month transition rate. If you haven’t paid for hosting, your site will be archived and taken offline until payment is received. You can still choose to rebuild, migrate to a new developer, or retire your site any time before March 31, 2026.

• What is the absolute last day my old site will be online?
  The final shutdown for the entire legacy platform is March 31, 2026. After this date, all remaining sites will be permanently deactivated and cannot be restored.

• How long does a typical rebuild or migration take?
  A typical rebuild project with LIAA takes about 6-8 weeks. A data hand-off to a new developer is usually prepared within 5-10 business days after you submit the Migration Request Form.

Technical Questions

• Will I lose my domain name (e.g., www.mydomain.org)? No.
  Your domain name is a separate asset that you own. We will help you point it to your new website, whether it's built by us or another developer. There is no risk of losing your domain name in this process.

• What will happen to my email accounts?
  Your email services (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) are separate from your website hosting. This migration process will not affect your email accounts or service.

• Can I just download my website so a new developer can use it?
  Your site runs on older, custom software, so the raw files alone won’t work on modern hosting without significant rebuilding. We can prepare a hand‑off package that includes all of your pages, documents, and images, plus a simple outline of how the site is structured for your new developer. Creating this package takes several hours of staff time, so we charge a one‑time fee to cover that work. You’re always free to move your site elsewhere, this service simply ensures your new developer gets everything they need in a format they can use.

This is a great opportunity to reassess your goals. Here are some key areas to consider as you plan your new site.

Web Hosting Transition

• • Data Ownership & Transfer: Ensure full access to all existing assets, including content, domains, hosting accounts, analytics, and databases.

  • Documentation Review: Review contracts, hosting agreements, and licenses.

  • Backups: Always take a full backup of the existing site before making changes.

  • SEO Preservation: Audit and preserve existing SEO rankings (301 redirects, meta tags, etc.).

Content & Brand Strategy

• • Audience Analysis: Reassess your user personas, goals, and pain points.

  • Tone & Voice: Align updated content with your current branding.

  • Accessibility: Ensure ADA/WCAG compliance.

Technical Architecture

• • CMS Flexibility: Choose a CMS (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, Headless CMS) that balances ease of use and scalability.

  • Performance Optimization: Aim for fast load times (under 3s), use lazy loading and image optimization.

  • Security: Your site must have HTTPS/SSL and other protective measures.

Post-Launch Planning

• • Training & Documentation: Ensure your team receives training and manuals for the new site.

  • Maintenance Plan: Set up regular updates, backups, and performance checks.

  • Analytics & Tracking: Integrate modern analytics like GA4 to track performance.

Best Practices

• Website Hosting Services:
  Choose a reliable host with strong support, security, and backup features. Look for providers with 99.9% uptime guarantees.

• Email Management:
  We strongly recommend using a dedicated email platform like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Keeping your email separate from your website hosting is a modern best practice that improves security and flexibility.

• Web Developer Selection:
  Look for developers with relevant experience and check their references. A detailed proposal should include deliverables, timelines, and a clear price breakdown.

Key Terms

• Domain Name: The address of your website (e.g., example.com).

• DNS (Domain Name System): The internet's phonebook. It points your domain name to your website host.

• Hosting: The service that stores your website's files and makes them available online.

• CMS (Content Management System): A tool like WordPress that lets you manage your site without coding.

• SSL Certificate: Encrypts data for your website, enabling HTTPS and showing a lock icon in browsers.

• Responsive Design: A design that works well on all devices (phones, tablets, desktops).

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The process of making your website more visible in search engines like Google.

If you are looking for a new web developer, you will need to ask for proposals. Here is a simple template you can modify to fit your needs.

Project Title: Website Redesign & Migration

Issued by: [Your Organization Name]
Contact: [Your Name, Email, Phone]
Proposal Due Date: [Insert Date]

1. Project Overview
[Your Organization Name] is seeking a qualified web developer to redesign our website, migrate all data from our current platform, and provide ongoing hosting and maintenance. Our goal is to improve performance, mobile usability, and ease of content management. Our current site was developed using Classic ASP and an MS Access Database.

2. Scope of Services Requested

• Website Redesign: A full redesign with a responsive layout on a modern CMS (e.g., WordPress).

• Data Migration: Secure migration of all content, images, and database records.

• Hosting: Recommendations and pricing for secure, scalable hosting.

• Training & Documentation: Admin training for our staff.

3. Proposal Requirements
Please include your company overview, relevant experience, proposed solution, timeline, a detailed cost estimate, and at least two client references.

4. Submission
Please submit proposals via email to [Your Submission Email].