Frequently asked questions

Getting Started

How much does a website cost?

It depends on what you need. A straightforward website for a small organisation is going to be very different from a website with ecommerce, memberships, bookings or bespoke functionality.

We don't believe in forcing every project into the same package. We'll talk through what you're trying to achieve, what you actually need and what your budget looks like before recommending an approach.

Once we understand the project, we'll give you a clear proposal so you know what you're paying for.

How long does it take to build a website?

Again, it depends on the size and complexity of the project. A relatively simple website might take a few weeks, while a larger project involving custom functionality, integrations or lots of content can take considerably longer.

We'll agree a realistic timeline with you at the start and keep you updated throughout the project.

I don't really know what I need. Can you help?

Absolutely. You don't need to arrive with a detailed technical specification.

In fact, we'd rather understand what you're trying to achieve first. We'll ask questions, look at how you're currently working and help work out what the website actually needs to do.

Sometimes the best solution is simpler than you expected. Sometimes there is a more complex problem hiding underneath. We'll help you work that out.

Do you work with existing websites or only build new ones?

Both.

We regularly work with existing websites that need improving, fixing, expanding or bringing up to date. If your current website is mostly working, there's no reason to automatically throw everything away and start again.

We can assess what you've already got and recommend whether it's worth improving, rebuilding or simply fixing specific problems.

What can you build?

Can you build a website from scratch?

Yes. We can take a project from the initial idea and planning through to design, development, testing and launch.

We primarily work with WordPress, but the important thing for us is finding the right solution for what you're trying to achieve rather than simply using technology for technology's sake.

Can you add ecommerce to my website?

Yes. We can build online shops and integrate ecommerce into existing websites, including products, payments, subscriptions and other functionality.

If you're not sure whether you actually need a full ecommerce system, we'll help you work that out too.

Can you build membership or subscription websites?

Yes. We've worked on websites involving memberships, subscriptions, gated content, online courses and different levels of user access.

We can help with both the technical build and the connections between your website and the other systems you use.

Can you integrate my website with other software?

This is one of the areas we particularly enjoy.

If your website needs to communicate with another system — such as a CRM, email marketing platform, payment system, booking system or other software — we can investigate what's possible and build the integration where appropriate.

We can also help untangle existing integrations when things aren't quite working as they should.

My website is broken. Can you fix it?

Quite possibly!

If something has stopped working, you're getting errors, forms aren't sending, payments aren't going through or a plugin has caused a problem, we can investigate what's happening and work out the best way to fix it.

We won't automatically tell you that you need a complete rebuild. We'll look at the actual problem first.

Can you take over a website another developer built?

Yes.

We work with existing websites all the time, including sites that were built by another developer or where the original developer is no longer available.

We'll first assess the site, understand how it's been built and identify any potential issues before making changes.

What is it like working with you?

What happens when we decide to work together?

We'll start by getting a proper understanding of what you're trying to achieve.

Depending on the project, this might involve a discovery or requirements-gathering session where we look at your existing processes, website and systems and identify what needs to happen.

We'll then recommend an approach and provide a proposal covering the work, costs and expected timeline.

Once you're happy, we'll agree the next steps and get started.

Do you need me to provide all the content?

Not necessarily.

It depends on the project and what you need help with. If you've already got content, we can work with it. If you're starting from scratch, we can help you work out what content you need and how it should be structured.

If copywriting, photography or other specialist services are required, we'll let you know where those sit within the project.

How involved do I need to be?

That depends on how much you want to be involved.

Some clients want to be closely involved in every decision, while others are happy for us to take the lead and bring things to them for approval.

We'll agree how we want to work together at the start. Either way, you'll always know what's happening and have opportunities to provide feedback.

Will I be able to update the website myself?

Yes. We can build your website so that you can manage the content yourself.

We'll also show you how everything works once the site is ready. And if you'd rather not spend your time making updates, we can help with those too.

Hosting, maintenance and support

Do you provide website hosting?

We can help with hosting and can recommend an appropriate setup for your website.

If you already have hosting that works well for you, there's no need to move simply because you're working with us.

Do you offer ongoing website maintenance?

Yes.

Websites need looking after once they're launched — particularly WordPress websites, where WordPress itself, themes and plugins are regularly updated.

We can provide ongoing maintenance and support to keep your website secure, up to date and working properly.

What happens if something breaks after my website launches?

If we're providing ongoing support, you can come to us when something goes wrong and we'll investigate it.

Even if we're not providing a maintenance package, we're happy to discuss one-off fixes and support where appropriate.

Can you help with changes after the website launches?

Absolutely. Websites tend to evolve as businesses do.

Whether you need a new page, a new feature, changes to an existing process or something you hadn't thought of during the original build, get in touch and we'll work out the best way to approach it.

SEO and growing your website

Can you help with SEO?

Yes. We can make sure your website has a solid technical SEO foundation, including things like site structure, indexing, metadata, XML sitemaps and structured data.

We can also help you understand what content your website needs to target the searches that matter to your business.

SEO is an ongoing process rather than something you simply "add" to a website at the end, so we'll be honest about what we think will actually make a difference.

Will my new website automatically appear on Google?

Not necessarily — and nobody can honestly guarantee a particular Google ranking.

We can make sure your website is technically set up so that search engines can crawl and understand it, and we can help with the content and SEO strategy needed to improve its visibility.

We'll never promise you a number-one Google position.

Still have questions?

If you're not sure whether we can help with something, just ask.

You don't need to know the technical terminology or have a fully formed project brief. Tell us what you're trying to achieve or what's currently causing you problems, and we'll help you work out what the options are.