Hi!
Photo Credit: Seth Goldstein
I’m excited to discuss working on this website project with you. I say ‘with you’ because you are an integral part of the success of the website project as you are the SME (subject matter expert) on the services and products you offer.
Outlined below are all the basics about how I work. Please read through the entire page carefully to ensure that my processes will work for you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. If everything looks good, the next steps are outlined at the end!
– Matt Ryan
Contents:
- Office Hours / Contact Information
- What’s Included
- What you need to get started
- Process and Timeline
- Payments
- FAQ
A. Office Hours / Contact Information
I work Monday-Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm Eastern. That said, I am happy to schedule online meetings outside of this time to accommodate schedule challenges you may have that my posted office hours don’t align with.
During your project, we will primarily use Freedcamp to communicate. This is a project management app that helps me keep everything organized and in one place. Don’t worry. I’ll help you get comfortable with it.
I do my best to reply to all communication regarding active projects the same day (during my office hours).
If you’d like to chat via Skype or Google Meet, you can schedule an appointment here. Scheduling calls keeps my work from being interrupted and allows me to focus on your project! I typically don’t take unscheduled calls.
B. What’s Included
What are you getting? Good question. For website development projects, I will deliver an amazing and functional custom website designed and developed to position your products or services in their best possible light. This website will be built using the current version of WordPress, and the Genesis Framework, which means you’ll be able to update it easily – hooray!
Besides the tech stuff, we’ll also meet for an extended introductory strategy session via video chat. There will be a lot of information exchanged here. During this session we will nail down all your needs and get us both 100% on the same page. The session is recorded and you will get a detailed report out of it. After the project begins, we’ll have online video meetings every other week to review what’s been done so far, and where we’re going next.
This website design and development does not include any font, image, or premium plugin licenses, so if there are specific fonts, images, or plugins you want to use, let me know right away as you’ll need to purchase them before I begin work.
C. What You Need To Get Started
Before we get started, I’ll need the following from you:
Inspiration board
I need to see what inspires you! If we agree to work together, you’ll make a Pinterest board of images that match the aesthetic and feel you want for your website. This could include links to those sites you love – even if you only love a small part of it.
Answers to some questions
I need to pick your brain! I’ll send you a questionnaire to get an in-depth look at your business and the vision you have for your new website. This really helps me to strategically plan your site. I realize that there are a lot of detailed questions in there. It will take you some time. But think about it this way, if you don’t tell me what you’re thinking about, or what you like, or dislike, there’s no way I’m going to figure it out on my own.
Content
To build your website properly, I’ll need your content before we begin. What is ‘content’ you ask? Another excellent question.
This is all of the text copy that you have written to describe what it is you do or what your stuff does, and any images you wish to use. I’ll assume that anything you give me, you have permission to use. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
Starting with the content will let me focus the design around your words and images and highlight all the important aspects of the website. This will enable me to funnel visitors where you want them to go and do what you want them to do.
D. Process & Timeline
The overall process varies slightly from project to project, but this general timeline outlines the major milestones and we’ll do our best to stick to it, or let you know if your project will vary greatly from what is outlined below.
Please note that e-commerce and membership sites take longer to develop, please add 2-4 weeks to the development portion of the timeline if we’re making an e-commerce or membership site together!
1-2 MONTHS BEFORE PROJECT BEGINS
- You – You make a down payment to get on the schedule
- Us (that’s you and me) – We have a strategy session to determine the goals and features of your website
- You – You begin the homework I’ve assigned as well as gather all website content
- Me – I schedule your project and am available if you have questions
WEEK 1
- You – All content and homework due
- You – Provide access credentials for all your systems
- Me – Start outlining the site
WEEK 2
- Me – I’ll send you a mockup of the website
- You – You’ll provide feedback on the mockup
WEEK 3
- Me – I’ll tweak the mockup based on your feedback
- You – You’ll answer any questions I have as I tweak the design
WEEK 4
- You – You’ll give approval on the design/mockup
- Us – Celebrate design accepted
- Me – I’ll start developing the design into a website
WEEK 5
- Me – I’ll continue developing the website
- You – You’ll answer any questions I have as I create the site
WEEK 6
- Me – I’ll send you the site for review
- You – You’ll review the site and provide feedback
WEEK 7
- Me – I’ll tweak the site based on your feedback
- You – You’ll sign off on the site
- Us – Celebrate development loved and accepted
WEEK 8
- You – You make the final payment
- Me – I’ll launch the site on your server
- You – You’ll celebrate!
E. Payments
Below is the payment schedule expected for your project. If you believe this schedule to be problematic for you, please let me know as soon as possible BEFORE the contract is signed so that we may discuss an alternate schedule.
- 50% of projected project cost due before work begins and to secure your spot on my schedule
- 20% of projected project cost due at the completion of the design phase of the project, or after 60 days, whichever happens first
- 30% of projected project cost due before the website launches or after 90 days, whichever happens first
- 100% of additional costs (fonts, images, licenses, and anything we’ve added to the project) due before website launch
F. FAQ
How long will my website take?
It depends on a few factors: my schedule availability, the project complexity, and your response time. Most website builds are scheduled to begin within 6 weeks after first contact. This allows time for you to complete any text copy, take any new photos, and do the homework required for me to create your site.
The complexity of your website is another factor, while some sites can be completed in as little as a month, others (especially e-commerce or membership sites) can take as long as three to four months to fully plan and construct. I’ll give you a better timeline quote during our strategy session.
The final factor is your response time. During the project, you will need to respond as quickly as possible to my questions and provide feedback. Delays in your responses will result in a delay in the launch of the website and may increase the overall cost of the project. If you have any vacations or offline time planned during the time we’re supposed to be working on your website, please let me know before you sign the contract so I may alter the timeline accordingly.
How much will my website cost?
In general, most websites start at $5,000 and go up in price based on a few factors: complexity, scope, and timeline. We’ll discuss your project and create a custom quote based on your needs. Complexity also applies to strategy — a design that looks simple for a site that has a complex sales process costs more than a site with no sales process. The scope of work also affects the overall price.
The price quoted at the beginning of the project may not be the final price as changes to the scope of work (adding, removing or changing features) may result in the final project cost changing.
Finally, the timeline affects the price. The price quoted is based in part on the amount of time I believe the project will take to complete. Delays due to failure on your part to provide content or feedback will result in a “holding fee” for each week the project extends past the timeline. If you have a tight deadline, a “rush fee” may be charged to complete the project in time.
Thanks for reading!
Please shoot me a note using the form below if you have any questions.
Everything look good? Let’s schedule our introductory chat so I can get started creating your quote. Click the link below to be taken to my online call-scheduler.
I look forward to chatting about your project with you!
