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What do I need before building a website?These are the things I'll need from you before starting your website project to ensure your project stays within budget and on time. If you do not have any of the below please reach out! Some of these are items I can assist with or I can refer trusted partners. An established business - You have identified your business name, have established a legal entity, and have opened a business bank account. A product or service - It is important that you have a clearly defined service offering or product that you plan to sell via your site. You will want to identify how you plan to charge for your product or service prior to beginning your website. A domain name - A domain name is the unique address potential customers will use to find your site! For example, www.google.com is Google's domain name. I recommend using GoDaddy, Google, or Wix to purchase your domain. A brand - This includes an up to date, high resolution logo, at least two brand fonts, and at least two branded colors to inform your site design. Copy and messaging - You'll want to map out what content you want on your site. Start with the basics: an about story, what sets you apart, and a description of your services. Try writing each section on a sticky note and organizing them into a story! Photographs - It is important that you have branded photographs in a high resolution digital format to bring your website to life. If you are not in a spot to host a complete photoshoot, start out with a headshot of yourself! Many web builders provide free stock imagery. Time - You hold all of the pieces needed to put your site together. It's your vision we're executing so you'll want to be able to devote time to weekly meetings, responding to emails, and providing feedback! Financial Resources - A website is a big investment in your business, but a worthwhile one if you are ready to take the leap! Your website will be your silent seller when you're not around generating additional revenue for years to come.
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How long does it take to build a website?I get this question all the time and while it varies I've found that it typically takes at between 4 - 6 weeks to get a new website up and running. This is all dependent upon how prepared you are and the complexity of your site. I use monday.com for project management so whenever we work together you will receive a personal project plan with established deliverables and due dates. I have gotten projects live in as little as two weeks and I have also seen projects take 6 months. While working together you are guaranteed excellent service and my full attention. To ensure this I schedule my projects to only see a few clients at a time.
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Do we work together after the site is live?I make myself available for two weeks after go live to catch any bugs and answer any questions that might pop up. After that, I am available on an as needed basis or via retainer depending on your needs after we go live, but this is rarely needed. Your site won't need monthly technical or security maintenance. Any technical issues will be detected by your web builder or Google and they are rare. I also train every client on how to maintain their website before going live so you will be equipped to take on the day to day. Typically I hear from clients when they want a design refresh or to add a new feature!
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How much does a website cost?This depends on a few factors. When building your website there is always an up front investment for my time. After that there are some monthly or annual fees to maintain the site, but these typically don't go over $500/year and are paid directly to third parties. When working with me here's what you can expect: My fee - this covers my time spent working on your website build and time spent working with you. This investment increases based on the complexity of your site. Hosting fees - this is paid directly to the website builder we go with. You can expect to spend at least $10/month on hosting fees depending on which hosting plan you need. Domain ownership - you'll want ownership over your unique url. On average you can expect to pay $15/year for your domain. Wix offers your first year free for domain ownership and GoDaddy constantly runs specials on domains for as little as $0.01/year depending on what you need. For example, I own www.carvercreative.com Processing fees - if you are processing payments via your website then you will be subject to processing fees. Most companies compete with each other so rates are pretty standard across the market. I typically recommend Square to my clients. Square's processing fee is 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction. Apps - depending on your business model you may need custom solutions like the ability to sell products, rent equipment, or book appointments. Sometimes these solutions come with a monthly fee. It's rare that an app costs more than $10/month. We will discuss the expected cost when scoping your project.
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What if my website is built on a platform you don't work in?We will handle the migration from start to finish and ensure you are comfortable managing the day to day in this new platform. Wix and Shopify are two of the top web builders available. If you are committed to your existing web builder we will share a list of partners who specialize in your platform.
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