Why do you use WordPress?
WordPress is content management software and currently powers around 25% of all website on the Internet. It also powers over 50% of all blogs online. Because it is open source software it is contributed to by tens of thousands of developers all over the world, therefore, it continues to grow in strength and functionality at a rapid pace. Using WordPress as the backbone of a website design allows me to develop flexible and customizable websites that are up to modern standards and observe web development best practices. Furthermore, the community of web developers that use WordPress reached far and wide and allow me to tap into this collective intelligence to bring that wealth of experience to your project.
What is information architecture?
Information architecture describes how the different pages of a website are related to each other. This is usually communicated through a visual tool called a sitemap, which serves as a starting point for building your website out and making sure the navigation offers a positive user experience for your visitors.
What is an interactive prototype?
An interactive prototype is a black and white version of your website that is designed to prove the functionality and features as they will work in the browser. No design elements are applied at this stage, as the prototype is just built to determine how the website will function.
Who do I call if something goes wrong with the website or I can’t figure something out?
After the 30 day warranty period is over and provided you subscribe to one of our Monthly Maintenance Plans that includes support in it (the base plan is not included), I will be your first point of call should something go wrong with your website. I will determine whether it is something the hosting company needs to fix something that is covered by your Monthly Maintenance Plan. If you are not on a maintenance plan, my hourly rate at the time of service call will be applied, with a 1/2 hour minimum charge per trouble ticket.
What happens after the website is launched?
Once your website is launched, I will provide 30 days of support to make sure any bugs have been ironed out and that you are confident using your new website. After this, you will need to subscribe to one of our ongoing Monthly Maintenance Plans to make sure your website is looked after and maintained. These website care plans include updating your software, regular backups, security checks and making sure your website is online and open for business 24/7/365.
How long will it take to appear at the top of Google?
The time it takes for your website to appear on page one of Google depends on a number of factors. It depends on the search phrase people are using to find your website and the number of other websites that are also available for those search phrases. Nobody can truly say how long it will take for your website to appear at the top of search engine results pages (including people who actually work for Google), however, there are a number of factors that can improve your chances. Building your website on WordPress is a good start as WordPress has some great Search Engine Optimisation fundamentals built-in. Creating unique and interesting content on a regular basis for your website is also critical to increase your visibility amongst search engines. Launching your website and then forgetting about it is a surefire way to get lost amongst the noise. I am happy to talk to more about your search engine strategy if you like.
How will I know if anyone is visiting my website?
If you have opted to include the optional install of the Google analytics software on your new website, I can show you how to log into your Google analytics account where you can see a wide range of statistics about your website including the number of visits, pageviews than amount of time people are spending on your website. Also, if you are subscribed to one of our Monthly Maintenance Plans you will receive a report on website visitors each month, which will give you some insight on the page visits, without having to log into Google Analytics.
What happens if I want to add some features to the website while you’re building it?
While I like to be flexible and responsive to your needs, I also like to deliver what I promise within the time frames and budgets we have allowed. If you ask me to add new features to your website while I am in the process of building it, this will be considered “out of scope” of the original terms of the project. A new estimate for those changes will be provided, along with a contract to deploy those features, which will need to be signed prior to implementing them.