FAQ

Yes! There’s nothing quite as fun as transforming a site into a modern, responsive, and beautiful website that converts visitors into customers. Please let me know and I would love to discuss this with you.

I suggest to have the following in place:

1. Clear understanding of your business goals and objectives for the website
2. Content for the website, such as text, images, and videos
3. Branding elements, such as logos, color schemes, and font styles
4. Information about your target audience and customer personas
5. A budget for the website development project
6. A timeline for the project and any specific deadlines
7. A list of any desired website features or functionalities
8. Examples of websites you like and why they like them

To support you in this process I created this 5-Step Website Configurator which will take you through the things you need.

Having this information ready before starting the project will help ensure a smooth and efficient design process, and will allow me (the web designer) to better understand the business owner’s vision for their website.

Don’t worry if you don’t yet have a logo, color schemes, font styles, images, video etc. I can either develop any or all these elements for you or contract a professional for example photographer, illustrator, videographer or copywriter.

Your website is your storefront, so it makes sense to give it some love and attention.

The design process begins with identifying your vision and scope of your website. I’ll design your website to reflect the best of your brand and ensure that it’s responsive to whatever kind of device your potential customers are using.

Below is the simplified 5 phase process, for the complete process please go here.

PHASE 1 – DESIGN INTERVIEW

We need to get to the bottom of who you are, what you stand for and who you stand beside.
Only then can I begin to create a design that portrays the value you offer in a way that resonates with the people who matter: the people you want to do business with.

PHASE 2 – WEBSITE CONTENT

While I am preparing the first design drafts I will need to have the content at this stage i.e. text, images, photos, service descriptions etc. I can also work with dummy text; however, this will take more time and impact cost as in my experience more changes are necessary as the length of text influences design and layout of other elements such as images.

PHASE 3 – DESIGN PRESENTATION

I’ll design a first design draft of the first page(s), usually the homepage and present to you the possibilities and options to decide the final direction to take and any adjustments. You will have 2 opportunities to review and make changes.

PHASE 4 – WEBSITE BUILD

Using everything I’ve gathered; your website and all its pages, features and versions for all screen sizes are built. You will have plenty of opportunity to review and give your input. We will repeat the review and edit process for each page and feature until it’s all done.

PHASE 5 – LAUNCH

After in-depth testing, the launch process is a carefully considered one. This is something I’ve done many times before.
I operate to a checklist which I’ve curated over the years and it’s not failed once.

If you would like support with writing your content, I will get one of the copywriters I work with to contact you. Personally, I will gladly support you in formulating some of the Headlines and SEO wording but not actual page text content. Let’s add this to the project scope.

I gladly contract one of my trusted local phographers and videographers to take photos. Let’s add this to the project scope.

Most websites take from around 6 weeks up to 6 months which for the most part depends on these things:

1. Scope of your project i.e. level of customization, total number of pages and features
2. Content availability, all items as listed in my Step by Step Website Project Configurator (see also FAQ “What do I need to get started”
3. Resource availability, your and my availability work schedules, project calendars and seasonal leave of absences

Yes of course! Here are projects I’ve designed and realised for my amazing clients.

Yes!

Most custom websites in my experience take between 12 to 24+ weeks. It mostly depends on availability and the overall scope, i.e. number of pages, posts, features, customization, how quickly this content is ready.

For smaller projects with limited pages, features and customisation, I offer pre-made layouts found here https://symphonic-design.com/standard-website-layouts/ We choose one and fill the premade pages with your information, text, images, colurs and fonts.

For large custom projects a rushed timeline is also possible. To perform more work in less time more resources are needed which will reflect in the necessary budget.

For any fast service an immaculate preparation of design and content is necessary, this means everything mentioned under “What do I need to get started”. This will be pivotal to the success of any rushed timeline. Also check “The 12 steps to a successful website project” and the Website Configurator.

Contact me to discuss options

Payment is done electroncially via bank transfer. First, I onboard you in my CRM and you will receive an invoice. Payment terms are 10 days net by default and can be negotiated.

By default, I will provide basic technical SEO and add the website to the Google Search Console unless otherwise specified. This service is expandible and customizable on request. Visit my services page for more details on SEO services I provide.

Yes, I offer Search Engine Optimization, technical SEO integration at the level of WordPress, Google or any other Analytics platform, Content Optimization, On and OFF Page Content Optimization.

My pricing model is primarily based on project scope, with a project-based fee being the norm. My clients vary in size and budget with some small local businesses having a budget range of €750-€2,000, while other clients requiring more intricate solutions that begin at €5,000. However, I ensure that pricing is fair, value based and a worthwhile investment. There are several factors that influence pricing, including:

1. Complexity of design: The more complex the design, the more time and effort required, which increases cost.
2. Number of pages
3. Customization of templates or building a custom design from scratch
4. E-commerce such as a shopping cart and payment processing
5. Content creation such as writing copy or creating graphics
6. Integration with third-party software: If the website needs to integrate with third-party software, such as a CRM or marketing automation tool
7. Timeline: If the website needs to be designed and launched quickly, the project may need to be prioritized
8. Ongoing maintenance

I offer WordPress Maintenance plans for websites regardless of whether or not I have created them for you. There are several options which can be ordered as standalone or as part of a hosting package. For more details please visit https://symphonic-design.com/website-maintenance-plans/

My websites are built with backend user friendliness in mind. I will include a handover and basic 60 minute training to learn the basics of editing your posts and pages. If you would like to learn more I also provide custom WordPress training courses. Let me know what you need.

All websites are optimized for varying devices and screen resolutions. The UI fully adapts to the screen and depending on the type of device i.e., PC/Laptop, tablet and mobile phone taking into account differing operating systems and browsers.

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) used by millions of websites around the world. It is an open-source platform that is easy to use, highly customizable, and offers a wide range of features to meet the needs of a variety of websites, from personal blogs to large e-commerce sites.

The top 5 features why WordPress is the better platform for websites are:

1. Customizability
2. SEO-friendly
3. Opern-Source
4. Third-Party Integrations
5. Security

WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) used to create and manage websites of all sizes ranging from personal blogs to enterprise and eCommerce websites. WordPress is used by 63.4% of all the websites whose content management system we know. This is 43.1% of all websites which makes it the most popular CMS on the market.    [Source W3Techs.com]

While I am available via all common channels, during the main design review and approval phase it has proven most efficient to use a cloud-based design review document.

Yes, I do design on these platforms

Yes, you can transfer your domain and website from Squarespace to WordPress and you will neeed a hosting plan onm order to do so. See hosting options here. 

Yes. If you don’t, that’s ok too and I can create page designs and layouts as wireframes with placeholders for text, images and video. However, keep in mind that this means additional design steps and in my experience, these usually cause the design and layout to change and increases cost.

Yes, I offer design, layout and print of most common materials. I work with both online based and local printers depending on scope and scale of the project.

I partner with top professionals who specialize in these areas. As soon as I have a precise briefing I will be able to turn around a quote. You don’t have to worry about managing too many different relationships and communciation channels. I remain your Single Point of Contact throughout.

Yes, I do. Contact me to discuss options.