Have Questions?

Here’s a Professional WordPress FAQ Guide

What do I need to do to prepare for a project?

Here are the items that you need in place before I can begin building your site:

1. Purchase your domain – this is the address for your website; www.yourbusiness.com. There are many companies that sell domains, but I recommend choosing the same person you purchase for your hosting. Often, they give you a free domain when you purchase a hosting package, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE DOMAIN IN YOUR CART AT THE SAME TIME WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE DOMAIN.

2. Purchase your hosting – this is the machine that runs your website, and yes, you have to have both a domain and a hosting provider. Please refer to the question below for more information about what type of hosting to purchase.

3. Have an SSL certificate – this is what makes your site secure; it is becoming more common that if you do not have this implemented on your site, search engines will block users from visiting it. Check with your hosting/domain provider because they will often give you an SSL certificate for free or at a lower cost because you are purchasing from them already.

Please purchase the items above before your project is scheduled, but you do not have to buy them before booking your first call with me. I also help connect all three of the above so your website is ready for the build phase when I get your project prepped.

4. Have a brand (logo, colors, and fonts) – If you are brand new and don’t have these elements yet, or want to rebrand entirely, I also offer this service! This will include several more steps to your project, requiring a longer project duration. These items will still need to be completed before any work can begin on the website, regardless if you are brand new or rebranding.

5. Have finished and approved content for every page of your site – How you choose to produce your content is up to you. Still, I recommend working with a content creator so they can build strategic content that will, in the end, make the website perform much better. You are making a significant investment in your website, so investing in the content will greatly benefit you. Please be sure that you have a hard deadline for your content, whether you are writing it yourself or working with a content creator before you commit to the dates of the website project. And I have recommendations for content creators that I can share if you need any.

6. Having professional photos taken does wonders! – Every site that I have ever built where the client has had professional images taken has always been the best-performing websites! Your customers will resonate with you more when they see you in the images, and this will help build their trust. They make the website look more polished and unique from your competitors. Keep in mind that this is not a required step; however, having poor-quality photos or no photos on your website to personalize it will hurt you more than the investment to get nice photos taken. If you choose to get professional images taken, these do not need to be provided before we begin building, but you should schedule them as far in advance as possible so they don’t hold us up and can be implemented into the website before the launch.

Where will my website be hosted?

The platform your website is hosted on is completely your choice. My preference is the same person you purchase your domain from. Another good thing to keep in mind when choosing a hosting provider is to check that they have WordPress hosting. Because this is the platform that I would be using to build your website, the WordPress hosting will make it easier for your site to run. My two suggestions for hosting would be GoDaddy and SiteGround.

Why I don't offer hosting for my clients?

The hosting I could provide may not be as strong as hosting you could get from some of the big players, so I prefer you get the best product out there. Plus, I’ve known people’s websites that were held hostage due to being on another designer’s hosting plan, and that’s not the type of relationship I want for my clients either. I am your partner in this and want what’s best for you.

How far in advance do I need to book?

I suggest booking your Pre-Strategy Call with me as soon as possible so we can determine how involved of a project you need and what timeline is available for your project. Branding and content creation are the two biggest pieces of the project that need to be in place before your website can begin. If you plan to work with a content creator, speak with them to determine their availability to ensure it is completed before the project start date. If you need the branding materials and want a package bundle, I would secure your spot at least a month in advance (Please see the project preparation question above for more information on these two topics).

When can we start?

I would suggest booking your Pre-Strategy Call with me as soon as possible so we can determine how involved of a project you need and what timeline is available for your project.

What happens if I need to change the scope of our project before it's finished?

All projects are provided a schedule that I try very hard to keep on track so anyone waiting to start their project after yours will be on time. Changing the scope of a project could cause delays and extra charges, and it’s not promised that the changes could be implemented immediately. This would be approached on a case-by-case basis to determine the best solution for everyone.

What happens if I need to pause the project?

Pausing your project is doable, but depending on how many projects are scheduled after yours would determine when your project could be rescheduled. You could also be invoiced an additional fee for rescheduling. Every effort will be attempted but it is not guaranteed that your project could resume when it’s convenient for you.

Is there a rush fee if I need a website ASAP?

The timeline of your project is a delicate topic best discussed on a call. Specific aspects need to be ready before the build of your site can begin (please see more information about that in the preparation question above). It depends on how involved your project is, but parts of your website can be launched quicker while the remaining pieces of the website are launched later. But as stated above, all the project details, timeline, and cost would need to be discussed during a call.

What is the investment for a strategic website?

Every website project depends on your needs, so the investment will look different for every business. Please book your Pre-Strategy Call with me as soon as possible so we can determine how involved of a project you need and what budget is best.

Is my booking deposit refundable?

Because your project is booked on my calendar, blocking others from scheduling that time for their project, the deposit is not refundable.

Do you offer payment plans?

Payment plans are available for all packages but will be set to a schedule dependent on your project’s progress. If you miss any payments, you will be charged a fee, and your project is at risk of being paused and rescheduled at a later date.

Where will you build my website?

My professional expertise is within WordPress. I have been using it for over ten years and love the customization it provides to create a one-of-a-kind website for all my clients. If you have any concerns about WordPress, read my blog post here, where I compare several of the most popular website platforms. I am happy to answer any questions you might have about WordPress if you want to contact me or discuss them on a call.

Who will be involved in building and delivering my project?

Because I have been building strategic websites for many years, I have mapped out a process allowing me to build an incredible website quickly. Working alone also allows me to be more in tune with your project without having to charge you more for additional help.

Does my website require any disclosures, privacy policies, or terms of service?

Every website requires compliance, and websites without them risk being sued. However, I provide you with all of these and are GDPR & CCPA Compliant. However, it is your responsibility to read over them to ensure they meet the needs of your particular business, and any updates that they need in the future will need to be updated by you unless you are subscribed to my Advanced Website Maintenance plan where I keep them up to date for you.

Will you teach me how to use my website?

Absolutely! It is the last step of my process before my clients are offboarded. You will be provided with a link to my Website Tutorial Library, where I walk you through the basics of your website and how to make simple changes such as rewording text, uploading a new image, adding a new product/service, etc.

Do you provide ongoing maintenance or retainers?

Yes, always! I offer multiple Website Maintenance packages to my clients after their website is completed. They are perfect for anyone that doesn’t feel confident or have the time to maintain their website. I love continuing to work with my clients because I never want them to feel they have to make changes on their own or maintain their website without help.

Do you offer copywriting or branding services?

I offer a variety of services! See more details under the project preparation question above.

Do you offer any warranty for your website clients?

Warranties and guarantees are not provided in my services, and here are a few reasons why:

CONVERSIONS: It doesn’t matter who builds your website or how well the website is created; if you don’t have a strategy to promote traffic to your website, you will never see traffic on it. Your website is a tool to convert people once they’ve landed on the website, but the type of people you lead to your website is also an essential factor in your traffic. One way to help gain traffic on your website is to have an SEO strategy. I offer packages for this service aside from your website project, but just like any marketing strategy, it is not a quick solution; SEO is a long process that takes time to see results. If you would like more information on this, don’t hesitate to book a call.

FUNCTIONALITY: Once your website is completed, you are responsible for maintaining the domain, hosting, SSL certificate, backups, and updates for your website to function correctly (unless you decide to subscribe to a Website Maintenance Plan). If these items are not kept up, your site can expire, be invisible, get hacked, break, etc. It is just as vital for you to monitor your website once it’s launched as it is for you to have a website in the first place.

Contact me, and ask me your questions!

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