Frequently Asked Questions

Getting started

  • If you already know what you need, you can book a Focus Day or buy Support Hours right away. If you’re new to Support Hours, we’ll start with a free 30-minute onboarding call after you purchase.

    Not sure which option fits? Book a free 30-minute call. We’ll talk through what you need and any questions you have. There’s no pressure to decide anything on the call.

  • A few things:

    • You work with me the whole way. I’m the one on your first call, building your site, and answering your questions after launch. Nothing gets handed off.

    • I plan around your customers. My background in museum studies taught me to plan around how people move through a space. I plan your site around the path your customers take to book, buy, or sign up.

    • Safe setup is built in. I’ve worked in cybersecurity for years, so being secure online is second nature to me. I bring that to every project.

    • Everything stays yours. Your domain, site, and accounts are in your name from day one.

    • You choose how involved you want to be. I’ll teach you to run it yourself, or take it off your plate. And with Focus Days, a lot can get done in one planned day, instead of stretching over weeks.

  • Custom Website Build: for larger sites with five or more pages, an online store, or booking.

    Focus Day: for a simple 1 to 3 page site, or a list of updates, Google fixes, or social posts done in one planned day.

    Support Hours: if you already have a site and need help now and then.

    Not sure? That’s what the free call is for!

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  • Custom Website Builds start at $2,000. A Focus Day is $600 and can cover a simple 1 to 3 page site. You’ll also pay Squarespace directly for your site plan and domain, so everything stays in your name. Current pricing is on my Services page.

  • A simple site can be built in one Focus Day, usually a week or two after booking, since we meet for a planning call first. Custom Website Builds take longer, depending on the size of the site and how quickly your content is ready. I’ll give you a realistic timeline before we start.

  • Focus Days and Support Hours can be booked anytime, and you’ll see open dates when you book. For Custom Website Builds, we’ll set a start date on our call based on my schedule and your timeline.

  • Yes! I’m based in Western New York, but all my work happens online, so I can work with you wherever you are.

Working together

  • Not much to start. It helps to have your logo (if you have one), a few photos, and some notes about your business. I’ll ask questions to fill in the rest.

  • I don’t design logos, but you don’t need one to get started. We can use your business name, colors, and fonts for a clean look, and add a logo later. If you’d like one made, I’m happy to recommend a designer.

  • Not on your own. You know your business best, so I’ll ask you questions and you can share notes. I’ll help shape them into clear text for your site.

  • Professional photos look best, and they’re worth it if you can. If that’s not in the budget yet, your own photos work well too, and I can share tips for taking them. Where stock photos fit, I’ll choose them from my stock library and license them for your site.

  • Yes. Squarespace sites adjust to any screen, and I check and adjust the mobile layout of every page I build, so it looks right on phones, not just desktops.

  • Accessibility is part of every site I design. I write alt text for images, choose colors with strong contrast, and keep layouts clear and easy to follow, so more people can use your site comfortably.

  • By email, phone/text, or through your client portal. Calls happen on Teams. I usually reply within 1 to 2 business days. Once we have our initial call together, we’ll choose a method that works well for everyone involved in the project.

  • Yes. Some technical terms can’t be avoided, but I’ll always explain what they mean and why they matter for your business.

Ownership and access

  • Yes, from day one. Your domain, site, and accounts are in your name, not mine, so you’re never locked out. I’ll make sure you know how to access everything.

  • No. I’ll send simple steps to add me as a contributor on the accounts we’re working in, and you can remove my access anytime.

  • Safe setup is part of every project. With my background in cybersecurity, I set up secure logins, give the right access to the right people, and make sure nothing is left open that shouldn’t be.

  • Yes. I’ll show you how to manage the parts you’ll actually use, like your hours, photos, and events. If you’d rather not, Support Hours are there when you need a hand.

  • Squarespace handles the technical upkeep, like hosting and security updates, so there’s nothing to install or patch. You’ll just keep your content current, like hours, photos, and events. I’ll show you how, and if you’d rather hand it off, Support Hours are there when something comes up.

Platforms

  • It’s easy to manage yourself, it includes hosting and security, and it can grow with you, from a simple site to bookings, payments, and online shops.

  • Yes. I worked on Squarespace 7.0 for years before 7.1 came out, so I can update and fix older sites too. If moving to 7.1 would help, I’ll let you know.

  • Yes. I build custom sites on Shopify and Square Online, and I can work on Shopify and Square Online sites I originally built. For other platforms like Wix, it depends on the work, so book a free call and we’ll talk it through. Squarespace is my focus, and if it’s a better fit for you, I can help you move your site over.

  • Squarespace is my focus, but I’ve helped clients on other platforms too, like Wix, Shopify, and Square Online. Book a free call and we’ll talk through what you need. Depending on the work, I may be able to help on your current platform, or we can talk about moving your site to Squarespace.

  • Yes. Squarespace offers Google Workspace, so you can have an email address like ‘hello@yourbusiness.com’ that matches your website. I’ll help you set it up and connect it to your domain.

  • Yes. Many businesses share news and updates mostly through Facebook, Instagram, or other social platforms, and I can help you decide where to focus. Through a Focus Day, we can plan and schedule a month of social posts for your business. Some clients book a Focus Day every month to keep their content on track, and if you post often or across several platforms, we can use more than one day. A year of monthly Focus Days also locks in your rate with priority scheduling.

Getting found online

  • If you have a location or serve customers in a local area, yes. It’s free, and it’s how people find you on Google Maps and in local searches.

  • No one can honestly promise rankings. What I can do is make sure everything you control is set up well: your Google Business Profile, your site’s content, and consistent information across the web. All of those pieces work together to move you up in search rankings.

  • More people are asking AI tools for recommendations, like “a good dog groomer near me.” These tools pull from websites, business listings, and reviews to answer. The basics that help on Google help here too: clear information about what you do and where, a complete Google Business Profile, and reviews from real customers.

  • I’ll show you how to read your Squarespace Analytics, so you can see how many people visit, how they find you, and which pages they view. If you’d like more detail, I can also set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

Payments and policies

  • Focus Days and Support Hours are paid in full when you book. Custom Website Builds are split into two payments: 50% to get started and 50% when your site is finished.

  • Each service has its own terms, which you’ll agree to before booking.

    General Terms & Conditions

    Focus Day terms

    Support Hours terms

  • You’ll pay Squarespace directly for your site plan and domain, so everything stays in your name. Your plan covers hosting and security, and your domain renews once a year. The cost depends on the plan you choose, and I’ll help you pick the one that fits.

    If your site needs other tools, like Google Workspace for business email or a booking tool, you’ll pay for those directly too. I’ll let you know ahead of time what your site needs, so there are no surprises.

    Your payments to me only cover my time and work.