I also do all the work myself, which means I would be the only point of contact for you instead of trying to reach out to multiple service providers.
Questions & Answers
Do you design mobile websites?
Yes, I design mobile-friendly websites using responsive design elements. What this means is that no matter what type of device you view the website on, your website will adjust to the screen size of that specific device. This is called ‘responsive design’ and it is currently the industry standard for web development.
Do you use WordPress?
Yes, I design the majority of the websites using WordPress unless otherwise requested by the client. WordPress is the industry standard Content Management System (CMS) that offers a backend access to you (the website owner) to log in and make simple text and image changes yourself if you wish to. The main advantage of this platform is that it is powerful, robust and allows people with no coding skills to make content and layout changes.
What is the best domain name/hosting provider?
When it comes to domain names and hosting, there are a lot of providers out there.
For domain names, it really doesn’t make much of a difference where you purchase it, as it is not a service that requires maintenance or upkeep.
Hosting is a different story. Over the years I have tried many different alternatives and I have found that Siteground has the fastest servers and offers the best bang for buck, especially when it comes to WordPress hosting. As a general rule, it is good practice to keep domain name and hosting within the same entity, which is why I always recommend clients to purchase both from Siteground. For more information on domain name and hosting please see my blog post on the topic.
Can you make updates after the website design is finished?
Once your website is completed and paid for, I will give you full access to your website’s backend. I use a drag & drop layout builder on the websites I build so that you can make edits and changes yourself without having to code, if you choose to do so. Most of my clients hire me for larger changes or new functional additions to their websites. My hourly rate for maintenance is $60.
How much does a standard website cost?
Website development work depends on the size of the site and the functionality you need on it. Generally speaking, a basic website with “Home, About Us, Services, Contact Us” layout costs at around $600-$700. If you require additional functionality, that would be added on. To get a better idea of the cost of your website project, you can use the handy Cost Estimator tool that I created.
Do you create e-commerce websites?
Yes! WordPress has a free plugin called WooCommerce that enables e-commerce websites. There are a lot of payment gateway options out there including Stripe, Square and PayPal to name a few. You can see the examples of e-commerce websites I created here.
Can you create a Shopify website?
Yes, I can work with Shopify if that is your preferred platform. However, I highly recommend WordPress instead, as it is completely free of charge.
Where are you located?
I am located in beautiful Vancouver, BC but thanks to the nature of the web development work I have been lucky to work with clients from all over Canada from Victoria to Halifax.
How long does it take to finish my website?
The completion time depends on the scope of the work. On average, a standard website design takes about a week to complete.
How and when do I pay you?
I ask my clients to make the full payment once the website design is finished. You do not have to pay anything until the work is done and you are satisfied with it.
Why should I choose you?
It is a fair question given the amount of incredibly talented designers out there. The clients I worked with so far would tell you that I am very responsive to requests and generally reply to messages within an hour.
Do you provide SEO services?
When I develop the websites, I use SEO best practices in using descriptions, alt tags, meta tags and so on. However, SEO is not a one-time implementation but an ongoing process that needs to be kept up by continuously generating new content such as blog posts, articles, videos etc. I do provide ongoing content services to some clients on a monthly fee. If this is something you are interested in please contact me.
Do you write the website content for me?
Majority of the clients that I work with have their own content written either by a professional copywriter or they write it themselves. While I can help with writing content, it is much better for you to do this, as you know your business much better than I do. I have worked with some clients in the past where I wrote the content for them from scratch for an additional fee.
I need a website but I don’t have a logo or any content. What do I do?
No panic, I can design a logo and find stock imagery that we can use for your site. I created full websites in a week or two for some clients who had no content. It takes some extra work but it is completely doable.