VII
VII FAQs

Got Questions?

  • What IDE do you use?

    I use VS Code.

  • How much do you charge for a web application?

    Every web application is different — some are super simple and others are incredibly complex. Others look simple AND are also incredibly complex.

    I’m interested in delivering a web application that will make a real difference to your business, so if you’re interested in that too, get in touch and let me know what problems your new web application needs to address. I’ll email you some possible solutions and let you know a guide price so that you can see if it fits your budget.

    If you know what you want your application to do, and you have a set budget to get it all done with, let me know and I’ll tell you if it’s possible or not.

  • Do you work for free?

    No — but I’m up for collaborations and trades. Got a service you think I’d benefit from? Or a project you think I could add value to that has some future upside?

  • Which software do you use for design?

    I currently use Figma, but I enjoyed using Adobe XD while it was in active development. Before that (for years and years), I used Adobe Photoshop and a long long long time ago, I used JASC’s Paint Shop Pro. I also use Adobe Illustrator when needed and, if clients ask nicely, I’ll create something for them in Canva.

  • What do you use to build web applications?

    I develop web applications using Laravel — it’s a fantastic open-source PHP Framework for building web applications. I code in VS Code and I use GitHub to store my repos. For local development, I use Herd.

  • What’s the difference between a website and a web application?

    A website communicates a message to its users. A web application is a special kind of website that provides a service to its users, sometimes for a fee.

    Websites and web applications have a lot in common. They are built with much of the same technologies, but their purposes are often different.

    Web applications generally provides a Customer with a digital service of some kind, and more often than not, Customers must register for an account in order to use the web application. Sometimes, they pay a fee/subscription for the service — you might recognise the acronym SaaS which stands for Software as a Service.

    Mailchimp is an example of a web application. You need to register for an account in order to use it and you can use an extended set of features if you pay a fee.

    Of course, much of the Mailchimp.com is accessible to everyone — those are the bits that market the services provided in its web application.

  • Can you help me with my CSS?

    Yes, but so can Stack Exchange… unless you’re particularly stuck on a very complicated CSS layout, you can probably find out the answer quicker and more cheaply via a Google search.

  • Do you know Javascript?

    Yes — I’ve been coding Javascript for over 25 years.

  • Can you fix my current website?

    If your current website is built in WordPress — yes, it’s very likely I can help.

  • Can you speed up my current website?

    I can complete a technical audit of your website and recommend some ways to speed up your website. There’s a chance that the best way to speed up your website would be to rebuild it, BUT there are usually less-expensive and quicker ways to get some good results — it’s worth exploring.

  • Do you offer website hosting?

    No — but I’d be happy to recommend a good website host to suit your budget (and even set it up for you). As a rule of thumb, don’t scrimp on hosting. No amount of code improvements can make a slow, over-worked server any faster. If your website is business-critical, I think you should choose a hosting partner who can serve you 24/7 and who have a dedicated team working to keep your site online.

  • Do you offer email hosting?

    No — but I do recommend you host your email and website with different providers. I use Google Workplace for my email and document storage, and some of my clients use Microsoft 365, so I have experience with both. They are both good, but Google is much easier to work with in my opinion.

  • Can you help me add a DNS record?

    Yes. I can help with DNS. Though it’s rare for a client to start their relationship with this service alone.

  • Can you improve my website’s performance?

    Yes. Performance is a big word — it covers speed, user experience and ultimately business growth all at once. There are various ways I can work with you to address performance issues with your website / business.

  • How long does it take to build a website?

    BINGO!

    This is the one question that everyone wants an answer to. Along with “how much”?

    The answers to both questions are interlinked and there’s no real way of knowing without discussing your particular requirements first — so let’s talk.

    However, if you want to discount everything I just said and have me give an answer that has no basis in reality, let’s say 14 months from when we start the project.

  • Can you design a logo for me?

    Yes. I’d prefer to take this on as part of a visual identity package. A logo on its own is a drop in the ocean.

  • Can you help me with my branding?

    Yes — I’d love to. I started on the path to becoming a graphic designer before the web swept me off my feet and seduced me into a 25+ year career of designing AND coding. I have a love of design and systems — branding and identity bring those two things together beautifully. So, yes — again — I’d love to offer you a branding package.

  • Do you build WordPress websites?

    Yes! I’ve been building WordPress websites since 2006! I build bespoke WordPress themes for businesses.

  • Can you design templates for my social media?

    Yes — especially as part of a larger branding package. I can even produce templates in Canva so that you can easily edit the content and create assets for your social posts.

  • Do you know about SEO?

    Yes — I’ve followed SEO best-practices for building websites since 2003. There’s more to improving your search engine rankings than the technical structure of your website. If you’re interested in learning more, drop me an email.

  • Can you optimise my website for search engine results?

    Yes — I can certainly help you with changes to the structure of your website that could help your website rank better. The structure and mark-up of your website are only two of many factors that determine your position in search engines. You might be interested in my technical website audit.

  • Can you get my website to #1 in Google?

    No — and you should be wary of anyone who says that they can. If someone gets you to #1 in Google, it will likely be for an incredibly specific and non-competitive term that does very little for your business growth. Google changes its algorithms continually; adding and subtracting factors that may or may not help your website rank. As such, no one can promise you specific positions in the search results. Instead, you should work with an agency who will audit your website and recommend the best steps to help your site achieve improved positions in the search results.

  • Do you do Paid Search?

    No — whilst a lot of my early work revolved around creating high-converting landing pages for paid search campaigns, I’ve never setup a Google Ads account (or any other paid search account). I can recommend an agency to help with your paid search and I’d happily work on the landing page with you.

  • Do you build Wix websites?

    No — I build WordPress websites. I could rebuild your Wix website in WordPress if there was a good business case to do so.

  • Do you build Shopify websites?

    No — not at the moment. I think Shopify is a great platform and I’ve seen clients achieve some great results using it. But I have extensive experience with WordPress, so it’s far more sensible for me to offer custom themes that work with WooCommerce — a free, open-source WordPress plugin that adds extendable ecommerce functionality and can be equally as effective as Shopify (with the added benefit that there are no on-going costs for the WordPress platform).

  • Do you build Squarespace websites?

    No — I build WordPress websites. I could rebuild your Squarespace website in WordPress if there was a good business case to do so.

  • Can you manage my social media for me?

    No, I don’t offer Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok or LinkedIn management.

  • Can you create a WordPress plugin for me?

    Yes. If you need to add extra functionality — or even an entirely new section — to your WordPress website, a plugin is the right way to do it. Plugins are a great way to extend your WordPress website in a safe, non-destructive way.

  • What is your process for building a website?
  • How much do you charge for a website?

    Every website is different and so is every Client.

    I don’t charge ‘per page’ and I don’t offer set packages — if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for, we’re probably not well suited.

    I’m interested in delivering a website that will make a real difference to your business, so if you’re interested in that too, get in touch and let me know what problems your new website needs to address. I’ll email you some possible solutions and let you know a guide price so that you can see if it fits your budget.

  • Do you ask for payment upfront?

    Yes. We’ll work out a custom payment plan for your project. Payments will be made in advance based on agreed milestones.

  • What do I need to give you so you can build my website?

    Content is a good start. Words and pictures if you have them. If you don’t, we can out how to put them together. At the very least, we’ll need to have a discovery call to work out what your website needs.

  • Do you code in ASP, .NET or C#?

    No, just PHP.

  • Do you code in PHP?

    Yes — I’ve been coding in PHP for over 20 years.

X

Availabile December 2024 — Ready to get started?

Book a call to discuss your next web project and start working with an experienced, knowledgable, creative web designer & developer.