No Mystery.Here Is Exactly How It Goes.
Most people have been burned by a vague quote and a project that ran long. So here is the whole thing, step by step, before you commit to anything. You will always know what is happening and what comes next.
Every website build runs the same seven steps, kickoff through launch. You always know which step we are on and what comes next.
A typical custom WordPress build takes three to six weeks. The schedule is agreed before work starts rather than discovered halfway through.
In full for 10% off, or three monthly payments.
Review rounds are part of the quoted price on every project. Feedback is expected, not billed back to you as an extra.
Start to Finish, One Developer.
Every project runs the same clear path. No handoffs between departments, no phase where you wonder who is actually doing the work. It is me, the whole way.
I Listen First
You tell me what you are trying to do, and I ask the questions that matter: who the site is for, what it needs to accomplish, and what has frustrated you before. By email or a quick call, whichever you prefer. No pitch, no pressure, and I will tell you honestly if I am not the right fit.
Your part: share what you have and what you want.You Get a Fixed Quote
I write up the full scope and a single fixed price. Not a range, not an hourly estimate that creeps. The number I quote is the number that holds, and it spells out exactly what is included so there are no surprises later. And if you have a legitimate US quote that beats mine, bring it and I will beat that by 10%.
Your part: review the scope and ask anything.You Approve the Direction
Once you are in, payment books the work. You choose how to pay on every project: the full total up front for 10% off, or three equal monthly payments with the first charged when you accept. Then I map the layout and look before writing a line of production code, so we settle the direction together early and you are never surprised by the result at the end.
Your part: send content, photos, and brand pieces.I Build It, Custom
I custom-code your site: fast, clean, and made for your business, not stitched together from a page builder. You get progress updates along the way and a private link to watch it come together, so nothing is a black box.
Your part: stay reachable for the occasional question.You Review, I Refine
You walk the finished site on a staging link and tell me what you want changed. Revisions are built into the price, and I am not nickel-and-diming edits here. I keep refining until it is right, not just until the clock runs out.
Your part: give clear, honest feedback.I Launch It, and You Own It
When you are happy, we go live. Once the balance is settled, or immediately if you paid in full up front, the domain, the database, and every file transfer to you. You own your code and your content outright, hosted wherever you like. I do not mark up third-party services, and I never hold your site hostage. If you would rather I hosted it, that is my own managed plan and a separate monthly line, not a markup.
Your part: final sign-off, then it is all yours.I Stick Around, If You Want
Launch is not a goodbye unless you want it to be. A maintenance plan keeps your site updated, backed up, and fast, with a direct line to me for changes. No long-term contract and no forced renewals. Cancel anytime and you still keep everything.
Your part: totally up to you.Who Does What.
Good projects run on clear expectations. Here is the honest division of labor.
What I Handle
- Design, layout, and all the code, hand-built for your business.
- Mobile, speed, and search-friendly structure from day one.
- Setup, launch, and moving your domain and hosting across.
- Clear updates so you are never left guessing on status.
What I Need From You
- Your content: text, photos, logo, and any brand pieces you have.
- A rough idea of sites you like, so I know your taste.
- Timely feedback at the review step to keep things moving.
- Honesty. If something is off, tell me plainly and I fix it.
Straight Talk on Timelines.
Timelines are honest promises, not sales numbers. Here is what actually affects yours.
Nine times out of ten, what slows a project is waiting on text and photos, not the build. Have your content ready and we move fast. I can help shape it if you are stuck.
I can move quickly when it matters, but a true rush means reshuffling other clients, so it carries a fair premium. I will always quote it honestly rather than overpromise and miss.
If the project grows midway, that is fine, it happens. I will pause, quote the addition in writing, and only continue once you approve. The original price never quietly balloons.
Already Have a Site?
The path above is for a brand-new build. If you already have a site, only the middle changes.
Everything above is the path for a brand-new site. If you already have one, the shape is the same at both ends, and only the middle changes. Whether you are on WordPress and want a rebuild or a redesign, or you are stuck on a closed platform like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify, it still starts with the free conversation and a fixed-scope quote, and you still own everything at launch. Here is what changes in between.
Audit and map. First I go through your current site by hand: every page, the structure, the content, and, on a closed platform, exactly what is locking you in. This takes the place of the blank-canvas design step, because the starting point is your real site, not a wireframe.
Rebuild or redesign. Then I recreate it as custom WordPress. The default is a faithful rebuild that matches your current design as closely as you want, and I flag anything worth improving as I go. If you would rather use the move as a fresh start, that becomes a redesign I scope with you.
Migrate with your equity intact. As the build comes together, your content, images, and SEO equity move across with redirects mapped, so the switch does not cost you rankings or inbound links. I test the staged copy before anything goes live.
From there, launch and ownership work exactly as above: a careful cutover with testing and redirects, then the domain, the database, and every file handed to you, with support afterward optional and never required.
One distinction worth naming: if your site only needs to move to a new host with no rebuild, that is a migration, which is quicker and scoped separately from a conversion.
Questions About How It Works.
The practical stuff people ask me before a first project.