From the moment you receive a Site Audit to the day you own a finished site, here's every step in plain language.
Every project moves through the same four stages. You'll always know exactly where things stand.
Before any conversation, you receive a personalized Site Audit — a page showing what your rebuilt site could look like, plus a full audit of your DNS, email authentication, and SSL status. No commitment required to receive it.
You Receive: Site Audit & MockupIf you want to move forward, I send a one-page brief covering exactly what's included, what's excluded, the price, and the timeline. You review it, sign it, and pay the 50% deposit to begin.
You Receive: Signed AgreementI work on one project at a time. Yours has my full attention. From deposit to delivery in ten working days. You'll see the finished site on a staging URL before anything goes live.
You Receive: Staged Site for ReviewFinal payment triggers full asset transfer: every file, every configuration, everything. Handover documentation covers what you now own. After that, there's no monthly bill from me.
You Receive: Full Asset TransferI only work on one project at a time. When your project is active, it has my full focus, not a share of it.
Every page, image, and inbound link on your existing site is catalogued. A full URL map is created so that every existing page has a defined destination in the new site. Your SEO history is protected from day one.
Your new site structure is mapped and all layouts are built mobile-first. Navigation is redesigned for touch screens. Typography and spacing are tested across every common screen size before content is added.
All your existing content is moved into clean HTML5. Images are compressed and optimized. Your contact form is connected and tested. Copy is edited for readability on smaller screens.
SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are configured and tested. SSL is provisioned and confirmed. Security headers are set. Your email is tested for inbox delivery against Gmail and Outlook before anything goes live.
Every page is tested on iOS Safari, Chrome Android, Firefox, and Edge. PageSpeed scores are confirmed at 90+ on both mobile and desktop. Every link is verified. Every 301 redirect from your old URLs is confirmed live.
Your finished site goes live on a staging URL for your review. One round of revisions is included. When you're satisfied, final payment is due and I transfer every file to your hosting. Your old site is archived. Your new one goes live.
Every choice here is made with your long-term ownership in mind, not what's convenient to build or maintain on my end.
When something needs to change, whether a new product line, a staff update, or a phone number, I handle it. Post-handover support is billed at $150/hour, one-hour minimum. You reach out when you need it, and I scope and complete the change on a one-time basis.
Not necessarily. I review your current hosting as part of the project and only recommend a move if there's a genuine reason: an overpriced managed WordPress plan you no longer need, an unreliable provider, or a setup that complicates DNS management.
If a move is warranted, I handle the migration as part of the build at no additional charge. DNS cutover is typically under five minutes of downtime.
There is no retainer and no ongoing obligation on either side. After handover, you own everything and I have no access to your site. When you need something changed, contact me directly and I handle it on a one-time basis at the ad-hoc rate.
At 90 days after handover, I'll send a brief check-in to confirm everything is running as expected. That's the extent of the post-project relationship unless you initiate further work.
E-commerce: shopping carts, payment processing, inventory management.
Member login systems: gated content, customer portals, user accounts.
Custom web applications: booking systems, configurators, or anything with backend logic.
SEO campaigns: I preserve your existing SEO rankings but don't provide ongoing link-building or content strategy.
If your site requires any of these, this isn't the right fit. Everything in scope, and everything excluded, is listed explicitly in the project agreement before any deposit is accepted.
A one-page document covering: deliverables (listed explicitly), exclusions (listed explicitly), IP transfer (you own all assets upon final payment), and payment terms (50% deposit to begin, 50% balance before file transfer).
The ad-hoc rate and minimum for post-handover work are also set here. If it isn't in the agreement, it isn't in the project.
If you've read enough and want to move forward, reach out. I'll respond personally, not through a form letter or a sales rep.
Email Steve Directly