Here are the answers to the questions I’m most commonly asked. If you have a question that’s not answered below, please get in touch.
How many different mock-ups of my new website will you provide?
I produce one design of the website homepage (or another key page if you prefer) and show you how it will look on a typical desktop, and a mobile device if you wish. As your website will be viewed on hundreds of different screen sizes from smartphones and tablets, to laptops and 32″ monitors, I limit the mock-ups to just these two, but of course the website once finished will look great in all these sizes. I believe in producing one design that will really accomplish your goals and attract that types of customers you want. If you would like additional pages mocked up, or mock-ups designed for a particular screen size, we can create these for you at an additional cost. You can read more about our design process here.
How many revisions will you do?
We have a round of feedback after I send you the wireframes of the key pages, in case there are any changes you’d like to make. Once we’ve sent over the mock-ups of the homepage there will be two rounds of revisions. Any extra rounds of revisions will incur a additional cost.
Can you create different versions of the homepage that we can choose from?
I only provide one version, but it will be the best design; one which I believe is the most effective at accomplishing the goals of the project, representing your brand, and attracting your ideal customers. I will keep refining my designs until I have one clear direction to present to you.
Who will write the content?
I believe that the person that knows your business the best is you, so we ask you to write the text for the website. If you would prefer to hire a copywriter, we’re happy to work with them too.
How long will it take to make my website?
Websites vary greatly, and the time it will take to create will depend on a number of factors including the amount and types of content, the number and complexity of pages, and the number of templates. However, we’ve found it usually takes around 5 to 7 weeks to design and build a typical WordPress theme. I like to give a realistic timescale, and deliver on time. I can give a more accurate estimation in the proposal, and once you’ve provided me with the website content and images we can set a start date and launch date.
How soon can we start the project?
We kick off the process with a questionnaire to get you thinking about your brand and your expectations for the project, and then have a consultation call, after which I’ll send over your proposal and quote. If you decide to go ahead, we’ll agree on a start date and put together a concrete project timeline, once you’ve provided the text, logo and images.
What will you need from me to start the project?
I like all clients to complete a questionnaire to help us get to know your business, and ask you to provide us with the text and images for the pages we’ve agreed upon. You should also send over your logo and brand guidelines if you have them. It’s useful to have logins for your hosting and domain at this point, and logins to your current WordPress website if you have one.
Do you provide hosting and domains?
I don’t pay for or manage your hosting and domains but I can recommend some great companies who can provide this for you. We’re a small company and these services require a lot of manpower: dedicated hosting companies have people working day and night so you can get support whenever you need it. I will transfer the design to the hosting/domain once the final invoice has been paid.
What browsers do you support?
I support the latest versions of Safari, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox. There are hundreds of different browsers and devices, so if you’d like me to test on a particular browser or device (for example if you use a specific browser in your school or office) I can add this to your quote. I don’t guarantee that the website will look exactly the same in every browser we support, as they each have their own quirks and limitations, but I will make sure it looks great in all of them.
What are your business hours?
I’m available from 8:30am til 3:30pm Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. You can always send me an email out of these hours, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Will you ask for the payment up front?
I typically ask for 25% of the total investment at the beginning of the project., then 25% after the designs have been agreed upon, and the final 50% once the website is built, before it goes live.
Can I add new pages, blog posts, testimonials, images etc to my website?
Once your website is up and running, I can provide a quote to add content for you, or you can log in to the site and add it yourself if you wish. I’ll send you a guide that shows you how to change the content yourself.
Can I add a shop, membership area, blog, or other idea later down the line?
Yes, my WordPress themes are very adaptable and I’m happy to put together a quote for you to add something new.
Will another developer be able to work with my WordPress theme in the future?
Yes, I use HTML, CSS, Javascript/JQuery and PHP to build our themes, which is the standard for WordPress themes, and I make sure my code is easy to read so any competent WordPress theme developer will be able to make alterations.
Will you set up a WordPress theme I've bought?
For new websites, I only work with bespoke themes, as I’ve found it’s usually not very long before you want the theme to do something it wasn’t meant to. By building my own themes we have full flexibility on every template.
We want a Squarespace/Drupal/Joomla site - will you build it for us?
I specialise in WordPress websites. I can give you the pros and cons of getting a WordPress website but if your heart’s set on a particular platform it’s best to find a specialist.
Do you do hourly work?
Yes. If you want changes making to your WordPress website send me an email and I’ll put together a quote for you.
Will you design a logo for us?
I create most of the design elements for your website (graphics, buttons, icons etc) but recommend that you hire a logo designer as they specialise in creating something that’s versatile, scalable and unique. The logo is often the basis for the rest of your branding so I prefer to have it before I start designing your website.