Frequently Asked Questions
Honest answers to the things people always ask me (and a few they don’t).
Last updated: November 12, 2026
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Processes
Every project follows the same clear roadmap. We start with a quick intro call and a ballpark estimate. If it’s a good fit, we move into a discovery session where we dig into goals, content, and functionality. From there, I’ll send a detailed proposal and, once approved, we kick things off. Design and development happen in close collaboration with you — lots of check-ins, no surprises. After testing and launch, you get 30 days of after-care (and I can handle ongoing maintenance if you’d rather not think about it).
Most websites launch in 6 to 10 weeks. The exact timeline depends on the project’s size, features, and how quickly we can keep things moving together. When feedback and content come in on time, we often finish faster. Before we start, you’ll get a clear project schedule, and I send weekly updates so you always know where things stand.
Once you submit the form, I’ll review your details and reach out with any quick follow-up questions. From there, we’ll schedule a short call to get to know each other, talk through your project, and make sure it’s a good fit. It’s a relaxed chat — no pressure, just a chance to see what you’re trying to accomplish and how I can help.
I use a simple visual feedback tool that lets you leave comments right on the design — like digital sticky notes. It keeps everything organized and easy to track. We also do weekly check-ins to review progress and make sure we’re always on the same page.
You’ll work directly with me from start to finish. OGAL Web Design is my small business here in Virginia — how I support my family — so every project gets my full attention. I don’t outsource work overseas or hand things off to strangers. Everything’s done in-house, by me.
A custom, mobile-friendly site with the essentials covered.
Every project includes a custom design, mobile-friendly build, and a solid technical foundation — things like basic SEO setup, security & accessibility best practices, and launch support.
From there, we can add whatever you need: e-commerce, booking tools, lead capture forms, integrations with your CRM — you name it. You’ll get a clear scope before we start so you know exactly what’s part of the project (and what would be an add-on if we decide to go bigger later).
Pricing & Payments
Until I know exactly what we’re building it’s hard to answer. Our project minimum is $3,500, and our average project in 2024 was $8,750. Simple brochure sites land on the lower end, while sites with more pages, strategy, or custom functionality cost more. You’ll always get a clear quote before we start — no surprises.
I quote every project at a fixed price based on your goals and scope. That way you know exactly what you’re paying before we start, and you’re never watching the clock.
Projects are split into two payments — 50% to get started and 50% when the site launches. Larger projects can be broken into milestones if needed, but I like to keep it simple.
Cost mostly comes down to scope and complexity — things like the number of pages, special features, integrations, and how much content needs to be created or migrated. My goal is always to make sure you’re investing in what actually moves the needle, not fluff.
Absolutely. I often build sites in phases — start with the essentials, then layer on new features as your business grows. It keeps the upfront cost manageable and lets you see real results sooner.
Plan for hosting, domain, and any optional services.
After your site launches, you’ll need to keep it online, secure, and up to date. At minimum, that means paying for:
- Hosting (usually $10-$30/month)
- Your domain name (about $15–$20/year)
- Any premium plugins or licenses we use (varies by project)
If you’d rather not worry about updates, backups, software licenses, and security, most of my clients sign up for ongoing management plans that cover all of that — plus priority support so all you have to do is send an email and everything’s taken care of.
Maintenance & Management
My management plan covers everything your site needs to stay healthy — hosting, plugin and theme updates, backups, uptime monitoring, security, and quick fixes for small content changes. Basically, I handle all the behind-the-scenes stuff so you don’t have to.
Yes — that’s the heart of my management plan. Your site is backed up regularly, updates are tested before going live, and I keep an eye on security and uptime so everything keeps running smoothly.
That’s included. Need to swap a photo, update text, or add a new team member? Just send me a note and I’ll take care of it. Bigger changes or new features can be quoted separately if they go beyond routine maintenance.
I monitor your site 24/7 for uptime and errors, and I get alerts if anything goes wrong. Updates, licenses, and backups are handled on a schedule — and you’ll always know your site’s in good shape.
Absolutely. I regularly “re-home” websites that need better ongoing care. I’ll review your current setup, fix any lingering issues, and then get your site onto my management plan so it’s stable and protected moving forward.
Yes — hosting is included for all sites on my management plan. I use fast, reliable servers optimized for WordPress, so you don’t have to mess with hosting accounts or support tickets. If you already have a great host, we can review it together and decide what makes the most sense.
Small edits, like updating text, swapping a photo, adding a team member or posting a new document. You get three a month, each up to 30 minutes of work, and unused tasks don’t roll over. Bigger jobs, like a new page or feature, are quoted separately at my discounted hourly rate.
Usually within one business day. I’m available Monday through Friday, 7am to 3pm Eastern, and website management clients get priority. Email or my office phone is the best way to reach me. I don’t take requests by text or social media, so nothing gets lost.
Yes. Just email me with 30 days’ notice. Payments already made aren’t refunded. When your plan ends, the premium plugin licenses I provide are removed, so you’ll need your own to keep getting updates for those plugins. If you’re moving your site somewhere else, I’ll help make the switch a clean one.
Every update is checked with visual regression testing, which compares your pages before and after and flags anything that changed, so problems get caught early. If something does break, I’ll fix it at no extra cost. And with two sets of daily backups on file, I can always roll your site back if I need to.
Yes — at least the simple stuff.
Your site will be built so you can easily make basic edits like changing text, swapping photos, or adding new blog posts. How much more you can do beyond that really depends on your comfort level with web design, HTML, and CSS.
Before launch, I’ll show you exactly how to make those day-to-day updates. If you ever want to go beyond the basics (or just don’t have the time), I can handle the more complex changes for you through my ongoing management plans.
Performance & SEO
Performance is built in from day one. I use lightweight themes, optimized images, clean code, and modern caching so your site feels fast everywhere — not just on a speed test.
Core Web Vitals are Google’s measurements for how fast and stable a page feels. I design and build with those metrics in mind — keeping layouts steady, pages light, and interactions smooth — so your site scores well and feels great to use.
Yes. Every site goes live with proper metadata, clean URLs, redirects, and schema so search engines can understand your content. SEO is considered with every decision and feature.
That’s always the goal. I map and redirect old URLs, preserve content structure, and test everything before launch so you keep your search visibility — and often see improvements once the new site goes live.
Yes — every care plan includes Fathom Analytics for simple, privacy-friendly tracking. If you prefer Google Analytics or another platform, I can set that up too.
There’s no “build it and they will come” when it comes to websites. A great site is only one part of the puzzle — you’ll still need to drive traffic through things like SEO, advertising, social media, and other marketing.
That’s why, before we design anything, we’ll talk about your goals, your audience, and how your site can help move visitors toward taking action — whether that’s calling you, booking an appointment, or making a purchase.
I’ll make sure the site is fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate, with clear calls to action that help turn visitors into leads or customers. From there, it’s about pairing the site with the right marketing to bring people in.
Content & Assets
If you want to get the most out of your website, I highly encourage hiring a copywriter that will work with you to present your copy in the most effective way possible. Copy is one of the most important parts of a website, so I don’t advise clients to write their own copy unless they have extensive SEO, copywriting, and semantic HTML knowledge.
Absolutely. I’ll help map your pages and structure content so visitors can find what they need quickly — it’s a big part of the strategy phase.
If you’ve got great photos or can afford to hire a photographer, that always turns out best. If not, I’ll help pick stock images that actually look like you and not generic “business handshake” stuff.
This is another reason hiring a professional copywriter is always going to be the best move. Copywriters understand how to format copy to align with how people read websites (which is much different from how they read a book!).
Not unless you want to.
If you’re comfortable writing your own copy and taking your own photos, I’ll give you clear guidance so they work perfectly on the site.
If not, we strongly recommend working with a professional copywriter, and we’re happy to recommend one. We can also help source great stock photography or connect you with a professional photographer. The goal is to make sure your content looks and reads as good as your new design — together, we’ll work out what makes the most sense for your goals and budget.
Accessibility & Compliance
I follow WCAG best practices on every build — things like proper heading structure, color contrast, and keyboard navigation. Accessibility isn’t an add-on; it’s part of how I design and develop. If you need certification, I can connect you with an accessibility expert to help make sure you website conforms to WCAG standards.
Good accessibility and good design go hand-in-hand. In most cases, the changes that make a site accessible also make it cleaner and easier to use for everyone.
Definitely. I can run a full accessibility audit and give you a clear list of what needs fixing, how to fix it, and what should be prioritized first.
I partner with Termageddon, which automatically keeps your privacy policies and cookie consent tools compliant with changing laws. You don’t have to worry about chasing new regulations yourself.
No one can honestly guarantee that. Compliance depends on the laws that apply to you, and only a lawyer can assess your legal exposure. What we can do is audit and fix your site against WCAG 2.2 AA, which includes 2.1 AA, the standard the federal rules name. That puts you in a far stronger position and gives you documented proof of the work.
An audit finds the problems and ranks them by impact. Remediation fixes them. We do both, and the audit report becomes the checklist we fix against. Afterward we retest, so you see before-and-after results instead of taking our word for it.
No. Overlays are widgets that claim to fix accessibility with one line of code. They can’t repair underlying problems like broken structure or unlabeled forms, and they sometimes interfere with the assistive technology people already use. We fix the code itself.
Automated tools are a useful starting point, but they only catch a portion of real issues. They can tell you an image has alt text, but not whether the text is meaningful. They can’t tell you if a menu works by keyboard alone or if a screen reader announces your form correctly. That’s why our audits include manual keyboard and screen reader testing.
Most projects take 2–6 weeks, depending on the size of your site and the number of issues found. We’ll give you a clear timeline in your quote after reviewing your site.
Mostly not. Most fixes happen behind the scenes: code structure, labels, keyboard support. The visible changes are usually small, like stronger color contrast or clearer focus outlines. If a design element can’t be made accessible as-is, we’ll talk it through with you first.
In most cases we can fix your existing site. If the theme or page builder is the core problem, we’ll say so plainly and lay out your options, including whether a rebuild would cost less than endless patching.
Accessibility can slip as new pages, plugins, and updates are added. We provide training and simple guidelines so your team can publish accessible content. For ongoing peace of mind, we also offer monitoring and periodic re-audits through our website management plans.
AI Search & Visibility
It’s a review of how AI tools like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Perplexity describe and recommend your business, paired with a look at your website content to figure out why they say what they say.
Probably, yes. Ranking on Google and showing up in AI answers overlap, but they aren’t the same thing. Plenty of businesses that rank well are still missing or misdescribed in AI answers.
If you just want to see where you stand, start with the Snapshot. If you plan to make improvements, go with the Full Audit. It includes the strategy and roadmap you’d need anyway.
No, and be wary of anyone who says they can. AI tools change constantly and don’t publish their rules. What we can do is make sure your content gives them every reason to understand and recommend you.
Yes. Once the audit is done, we can scope out the updates, whether that’s rewriting content, restructuring pages, or building out new ones.
Just your website and social media links. For the Full Audit, we’ll also schedule a kickoff call to learn about your business and goals.
Misc.
You do — 100%. Once the final payment is made, everything I create for your project belongs to you. You’ll have full admin access, files, and licenses (except for any third-party tools that require their own subscriptions).
Both. Most of my projects are direct-to-business, but I also collaborate with agencies that need a reliable developer behind the scenes. Either way, you still get me — not some mystery freelancer.
Yes, as long as the site’s in a condition that can be safely taken over. I’ll review what’s there, let you know what’s working (and what isn’t), and outline what it’ll take to get things back on track.
Absolutely. Most of my work is remote, so location doesn’t matter. I’ve built sites for clients across the U.S. and beyond — everything runs smoothly over Zoom and email.
No problem at all. I’ll help you export your files, database, and DNS settings so the transition is clean. My goal is to make things easy — even if you decide to move on.
I don’t host or manage custom email addresses (like info@yourdomain.com), but I do set up transactional email — the automated messages your website sends, like form submissions or password resets. If you need business email, I can point you toward reliable options like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.
