Our Web Design Process

Fourteen steps from your first form to a live site and the setup afterward. At each one you can see what we do, what we need from you, and the checks we run behind the scenes.

  • What we do
  • Your part
  • Checks behind the scenes

Comparing website offers? Compare the process, not just the price.

A simple website build offer can mean very different things. Some cover only the pages. Others include the work that gets a site found and keeps it accurate. Before you choose anyone, including us, ask each company what happens before and after the site goes live.

Questions to ask any web designer

  • Will you check that my business name, address or service area, and phone match on my website and my listings?
  • Are page titles, descriptions, business details and a sitemap included, or are they extra?
  • Will I see a private draft and approve it before anything is published?
  • Who owns my domain and my site if I ever leave?
  • Is my site built for my business, or is it a purchased theme with my name and logo added?
  • What will I pay after the first year?
  • What checks do you run before launch, and can I see what they cover?
  • Will you help me start my Google, Bing and Apple business profiles, and track them until they are verified?

How we answer the design question: every page is designed for your business, and you choose the look of your site. We do not hand you a template to fill in.

Ask every company you talk to these same questions, and compare the answers side by side. You will find our answers on this page, step by step. A clear process is much easier to compare than a price on its own.

Plan

We collect your facts, your logo, your photos and a design direction before anything is built.

  1. Intake form

    What we do

    Send you a short online form for your package. We read your answers, ask a few follow-up questions, and write them into one project brief. Anything you have not confirmed is left out, never guessed.

    Your part

    Business name, phone, email, hours, address or service area, services and prices, your goals, the phrases customers use to find you, and any old information still online that needs fixing. Tell us whether you already have a Google Business Profile or other listings, and send the links. You also tell us whether you want AI tools like ChatGPT to read your site.

    Checks behind the scenes

    • Exact name, phone and hours recorded once, then reused everywhere
    • Conflicts between two sources flagged as questions for you
    • Each main search phrase matched to one page
    • Package scope confirmed, such as page count and product count

    We start once these are in

    Short answers are fine, and “not sure” is fine for most questions. These must be answered before we design or build anything, because every later step depends on them:

    • Exact business name, phone and email
    • City and state, and whether your street address is public or you serve an area
    • Your hours
    • Your main services, with prices if you want them shown
    • What the site must do: calls, quotes, bookings or sales
    • Whether you already own a domain
    • Any old or wrong information still online
    • Your package details: pages wanted, products and shipping, or booking rules

    Photos, reviews, logo files, social links and your founding year can follow, but we need them before your draft. Anything you have not confirmed is left out, never invented.

    Start your search profiles today

    Right after intake we go over the exact business details to enter. Please start these now, not after launch, because verification is done by you, the owner, and can take days:

    • Google Business Profile, then Google’s verification by mail, phone or video
    • Bing Places
    • Apple Business Connect

    You do not need a finished website to begin. Your website address can be added once the site is live. Create each profile with your business email so you own it.

    Why it matters

    Every later step depends on these facts. We record your name, phone and hours once and reuse the exact same wording on every page, in the business details Google reads, and in your listings. Small differences, like two phone numbers or “Street” on one page and “St.” on another, are the kind of thing search engines and AI tools trip over.

  2. Your logo: we design it, or you send yours

    Option A: we design it

    We create your logo and a short usage sheet. The site colors and style come from the logo, so everything matches.

    Free: Business, Store, Launch

    Starter Site: a logo is an optional paid add-on.

    Option B: you send yours

    Send your existing logo as an image or PDF, and any brand colors or fonts you already use. We build the site around it.

  3. Your photos, reviews and content

    What we do

    Collect everything you send, prepare the images for the web, and write descriptive text for each one so search engines and screen readers understand them.

    Missing photos? We place clearly marked sample images so you can see the layout. Every sample is swapped before launch.

    Your part

    Send photos of your work, your team, your location and your products. Send real customer reviews you want shown, plus links to your social profiles and any accounts we should know about.

    Why it matters

    Real photos of your work and your team build trust faster than generic pictures. Each image also gets a written description, so search engines understand it and screen readers can describe it to visitors who cannot see it.

  4. Page plan and design direction

    What we do

    Use our sample websites to plan which pages your kind of business usually needs, and confirm the page list fits your package. Then we create new layouts and designs for your business, so you can choose the look you like. For a quick look at style options, we can prepare design pictures of your home page.

    Your part

    Look at the options, pick the style you like, and approve the page list before we build.

Build

We build your site privately. Nothing is public yet.

  1. Build your site

    What we do

    Build your pages on your package, either WordPress or our AI Builder. We use only the services, prices and details you gave us. We never invent reviews, awards or guarantees.

    Your part

    Answer a few quick questions if something is unclear, and send anything still missing.

  2. Swap in your real information

    What we do

    Replace every sample item with yours. That means your name, photos, colors, tap-to-call phone number, map, and contact forms that send to your email.

    Your part

    Nothing required. We will contact you if a detail is missing.

    Checks behind the scenes

    • No sample text, sample badges or placeholder images left
    • Contact forms tested to reach your inbox
    • Buttons like “Add to bag” or “Book now” kept only if they truly work

    Why it matters

    Old hours, prices or services still online are what customers and AI tools find first. We ask what is out of date so your new site does not contradict it. A form that does not deliver is a lost customer you never hear about, so we test every one.

  3. Search and AI setup

    What we do

    Set up your site so search engines and AI tools can find it and read it correctly. We write a FAQ from the questions people really search for, and answer it only with facts you confirmed.

    Business, Store, Launch

    Starter sites get basic titles, descriptions and image text.

    Your part

    Review the FAQ answers and confirm they are accurate.

    Why it matters

    This is the half most websites skip. A site that is published but not set up for search is like a shop with no sign and no listing. People can only find you if search engines and AI tools can read, understand and trust what your site says. Nobody can promise rankings, but a site that is not set up properly makes it much harder for anyone to find you at all.

    What we set up, and why each piece matters

    Page titlesThe headline people see in Google results. It tells searchers and Google what the page is and where you work. A vague title like “Home” gives nobody a reason to click.
    Meta descriptionsThe short summary under the title. Google sometimes rewrites it, but a clear one gives people a reason to choose you over the next result.
    One main heading per pageEach page gets one big headline that states the service and the city. It shows visitors and search engines the topic at a glance. Pages with no clear topic end up competing with each other.
    Image descriptionsA short written description attached to each photo. Screen readers read it aloud for visitors who are blind or low-vision, and search engines use it to understand your images.
    Business details for GoogleYour name, phone, hours and service area written in a form Google reads directly instead of guessing from the page. It helps your details show correctly. It does not guarantee any special display.
    FAQ from real searchesWe use the questions people actually search, such as cost and how long it takes, and answer them only with facts you confirmed. It answers customers before they call, and gives AI tools a clear, accurate source about you.
    SitemapA list of your pages handed to Google and Bing so they find new pages sooner. We leave out cart, checkout and thank-you pages that should not appear in search.
    Robots fileThe file that tells search and AI tools what they may read. One wrong setting can hide a whole site, so we check it. You decide whether AI companies may use your site to train their tools.
    Real social linksLinks to your actual profiles let Google and AI tools connect your website to the same business elsewhere.
    Phone-friendly and fastMany visitors arrive on a phone. A page that is slow or hard to use there loses them before they read a word.
  4. Payment test

    What we do

    For stores and booking sites, run test orders in test mode only to confirm checkout, shipping and confirmation emails work.

    Store and Launch

    Your part

    You enter your live payment account details, with us on the call. We never handle them.

Check

Two rounds of checks before you ever see the draft.

  1. Our quality check

    What we do

    Go through every page on a computer and on a phone, click every link, and test every form before it reaches you.

    Your part

    Nothing. This happens before you see the draft.

    Checks behind the scenes

    • Every page viewed at desktop and phone size, no sideways scrolling
    • Every menu link opens a working page
    • Phone, map, forms and booking work
    • Name, phone and hours identical in header, footer and contact page
    • Every claim comes from your confirmed information
    • Page count within your package
    • Speed check and a scan for site errors
    • Each page names itself as the preferred version, to avoid duplicates

    Why it matters

    Many visitors will see your site on a phone first, so we check there first. We also look for the quiet problems you would never notice yourself: a broken menu link, a contact form that sends nowhere, or a number that is different on the contact page. We find them before your customers do.

  2. Search and AI scan

    What we do

    Run a scan that scores your site on five things and compares your facts across the website and your listings. Any problem it finds is fixed, or brought to you if it needs your decision. We never tell you a site is search-ready and AI-ready until it passes.

    Business, Store, Launch

    Your part

    Settle any mismatch we find, such as hours on Google that differ from your site.

    Scorecard behind the scenes

    • Crawler access: search and AI tools can reach your site
    • Facts consistency: name, phone, hours, start year and prices match everywhere
    • Structured data: tested with Google’s Rich Results Test on the home page and a key service page
    • Sitemap: valid and listing the right pages
    • llms.txt: a plain-text summary for AI tools, if you want one

    If you already have listings

    We compare your name, phone, hours, address or service area and category on Google, Bing, Apple and other listings against your website. If something differs, we ask you which is correct and fix the other. Anything we can only see inside your account is marked as not verified until you share it with us.

    If you are a new business with no listing

    There is nothing to compare, so the scan covers your site’s own facts. We then prepare your listing details, using the exact name, phone, hours and category from your intake form, so the profile you started at step 1 matches your site from day one.

    Why it matters

    If your phone number or hours differ between your website, your Google Business Profile and other listings, Google has to guess which is right. Customers may call the wrong number or show up when you are closed, and AI tools may repeat the wrong version. Scanning before launch means we fix the mismatch first. That is why we never call a site search-ready and AI-ready until it passes.

Launch

You review first. We publish only after your OK.

  1. Your private draft

    What we do

    Send a private draft link by text, with a copy by email that lists what to look at and what is still a placeholder. The site stays unpublished while you review.

    Your part

    Look through every page on your phone and a computer. Tell us what to change, and send anything still missing.

  2. Approval and go-live

    What we do

    Make your requested changes, then set up your domain and business email and publish the site after you say yes.

    Your part

    Give the final approval to publish.

  3. Handoff

    What we do

    Walk you through your site and send a written summary of what was built, your year-two hosting plan, and what is and is not included. Listings still waiting on your verification do not hold up your handoff.

    You also get a written list of where everything lives (your domain, your site and your business profiles) and who owns each one, so you always know how to reach it.

    30-minute AI Opportunity Session: Business, Store, Launch

    Your part

    Ask questions, and tell us what you would like to learn to manage yourself.

  4. Getting found and measuring

    What we do

    Set up, or list for you to set up, the accounts that help people find you and show how the site performs. We record a starting point so you can see change over time.

    Your part

    Finish any verification still open (Google confirms you run the business by mail, phone or video), give us access so we can add your website address and submit your sitemap, and consider leaving a Google review once the site is live.

    New business with no listing yet

    Your Google, Bing and Apple profiles should already be started from step 1. If any are not, we walk you through them with your exact details to copy in. Now that the site is live, we add the website address, then set up Analytics, Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools and submit your sitemap. Your profiles stay in your name, and if your business has no public address we show a service area instead of a street address.

    Verification can take days, and it never delays your launch

    Only you can verify your profiles, and Google’s timing is out of our hands. Your site launch and your handoff do not wait for it. We track each listing as pending until you finish verifying, and we check in with you if it is still open a week after launch.

    Set up behind the scenes

    • Google Business Profile matching your site
    • Bing Places and Apple Business Connect
    • Google Analytics, counting phone taps and form sends
    • Google Search Console with your sitemap submitted
    • Bing Webmaster Tools with your sitemap submitted
    • A baseline of clicks, views, reviews and leads

    Why it matters

    Your business name, address (or service area) and phone must match everywhere. Google compares your Business Profile with your website and with listings like Bing and Apple. When they all agree, Google can be confident which details are right. When they differ, it has to guess, and customers may get a wrong number or old hours.

    Analytics and Search Console show whether people are finding you and contacting you. The starting point we record lets you see change over time instead of guessing. Ongoing local search work is a separate service, so a launch is not the end of the job.

After launch

Domain, email and hosting are included for your first year. After that, a simple monthly hosting plan keeps the site backed up and running. Your domain is registered in your name, and the site is yours, so you are never required to keep a plan with us. Your business email is part of your hosting plan, so it moves with your hosting if you ever change hosts. Ongoing local search work, such as Google Business Profile management, new city pages and a review plan, is a separate service.

Already have a website? See how we upgrade an existing site. Not sure which package fits? Answer 4 quick questions.

We build every site to be found by search engines and AI tools. Nobody can promise rankings, traffic, leads or what an AI tool will say about your business.

Questions

Website questions, answered

What do I need to send you before you start?

Short answers are fine, and not sure is fine for most questions. We need your exact business name, phone and email, your city and state, your hours, your main services, what the site must do, whether you already own a domain, and any old information still online. Photos, reviews and logo files can follow, but we need them before your draft. Anything you have not confirmed is left out, never invented.

Will I see the site before it goes live?

Yes. We send a private draft link by text, with a copy by email. The site stays unpublished while you review, and we publish only after you say yes.

Do I own my domain and website?

Yes. Your domain is registered in your name, and your website and its content are yours. You do not have to keep using us after the first year. Your business email is part of your hosting plan, so if you move your site to another host, your email has to move with it. Domain, email and hosting are included for your first year.

What does it cost after the first year?

After the first year, a simple monthly hosting plan keeps your site backed up and running. Plans start at $25 a month, with no contract.

How do payments work?

Website builds of 500 dollars or more start with a 50 percent deposit, and the balance is due before your site launches. The Starter Site is paid in full. Domain, email and hosting are included for the first year.

Do you set up my Google Business Profile?

We prepare the exact details to enter, and we ask you to start your profiles right after intake, because only the owner can verify them and verification can take days. It never delays your launch. Ongoing local search work, such as managing your profile, is a separate service.