Let Your Website tell your Story
Your website is a tool to help you generate income. Let us help you amplify it!
All of our websites are custom designed with your specific needs in mind.
We want your website to reflect your individual style and needs for your unique business.
All our websites include:
Kick off meeting to asses your needs and goals
A website you own that you’re trained to update
Custom, just for you, design
Responsive mobile design
Set up of your analytics and tracking systems
Optional website care plans to keep it running smooth
Each website is as unique as the business it serves. Our websites are built on WordPress using Divi by Elegant Themes. This allows us to really customize the look and feel and train you on how to use and update it once it is launched. It also full integrates with eCommerce, donor management and membership solutions.
Plus you can choose from several different add ons to make the perfect website.
Custom copy
Membership or Online Courses
eCommerce
Email opt-in
Graphic design
Email automation
We know you have your choice of web designers and developers to choose from. We also know that it can be confusing to decide.
At H&E Marketing Solutions we recommend interviewing at least 3 different companies to understand what they can offer and make the best choice for you. This is a one-on-one relationship and is a big investment for your business. You’ll want to find the right company that you can work well with and that can support your goals for your business. Below are some questions to ask yourself and your agency or company before signing a contract.
How much work do I want to put into this project?
As mentioned above, any website build is a relationship. That means both parties need to put in the work in order to meet deadlines that are agreed upon. Yes, the more you do within the process will lower the price of your overall project. However, if you take on more than you and reasonably handle then you might slow down the process which can lead to a decrease in sales and donations.
How much do you already have ready to go so the project can get started right away. By understanding these elements it will help you figure out what additional expenses might be involved with your website build.
Some things you’ll want to consider:
- Who is going to write the copy (the words) on your website? Will that be you or will you need to hire a copywriter? Having this done prior to the design process will help with cost and timeliness.
- Do you already have your basic branding put together? Having your logo, brand colors, fonts and some ideas of imagery you like will really help speed along the design process and minimize revisions (which can be costly).
- What type of photography will you use? We definitely recommend having images direct from your location showcasing what you do and how you do it. Stock images can work from the beginning but investing in your own brand photography can be really impactful.
- What are your short term and long term business goals? This will help you determine the functionality that your website needs. Being able to clearly identify the elements that are most important will help you in getting a quote that supports the goals. This can include things like email marketing or eCommerce or online course/membership software.
If you’re reading these questions and are feeling a little overwhelmed, we recommend checking out the Website (re)Design Workbook from our sister company The First Click. It talks about all these elements and more with worksheets and prompts to help you get ready for your new or next website.
What if I change my mind during the process and need to add additional features or pages?
Most developers will have a clause for situations just like this. Your agreed upon contract should specifically line out the deliverables you’ve agreed to. Anything that’s added will be an additional expense. It’s perfectly normal for things to change throughout the process. Depending on the company you use they may add those elements at an hourly rate or it might be an additional product fee you get quoted on.
Who purchases the domain and who has the hosting?
We always recommend that you purchase your domain so you own it and have control over it. There are companies out there that lease your domain to you. This is an option but you’ll have to continue to pay them for it and don’t have as much control.
Hosting is a bit of a different situation. Most website development companies have maintenance plans for after the website is launched. These can vary greatly from company to company. It’s important to review these BEFORE you sign a contract. While they’re usually optional, it can tell you a lot about how they manage websites post launch (see more below). It will also tell you about hosting and what the options are. For example, we can include hosting at certain levels of our care plans which is a cost savings for you. You’ll want to clarify what happens with hosting should you terminate monthly maintenance. We offer our care plans on a month-to-month basis and should you terminate we work with you to transfer your hosting to your own plan.
What happens after launch?
You’ll want to know if you own your website or if your developer owns it. We definitely recommend having full access post launch so you can make your own edits. We build in training time into each website so you can make basic edits and updates all on your own. This is critical to being able to keep your website business focused and up to date with your current offerings.
Again a question you want to consider here is how much do you want to do with your website on a regular basis. As mentioned above, most companies offer website maintenance and care plans. Depending on the plan it will give you more time for them to work on your website. You’ll want to think about this BEFORE you sign a contract so you can figure out all the costs associated with your website build.
Another important thing to note. Most companies won’t take a website on their maintenance plans that they themselves didn’t build. So if this is important to you than you’ll want to consider that before you make your choice.
What is their payment plan?
Websites are a big investment. Many companies have different ways you can pay it down during the process. We have several options for our clients. 50% down, 30% at launch and 20% after our 2 week post launch period. We also offer payment plans that take place over the course of the year. You’ll typically pay a little more overall if you go that route but it can be a great way to make it more affordable and get exactly what you need.
Need more Information?
Not sure if you’re ready to get to work? Schedule your free 15-min call and we’ll analyze your current digital marketing needs.
Some of our happy clients!
Check out the
Digital Marketing Therapy Podcast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you use WordPress?
There are so many benefits to using WordPress. It gives you the freedom to continue to make edits and adjustments to your website without having to pay a developer – once your site is launched you’ll only need us for big changes! Also – it is a great platform to allow you to grow your website as your business needs change and grow as well.
How long will it take to build my site?
This is a very common question and depends on several factors. Typically we can turn sites around in 4-weeks. The timeline can vary depending on how organized your assets are and how quickly you can respond to each part of the process.
Will you do my SEO?
We will ensure that the pages that we design for you are optimized for SEO. We can work with you on creating the right content strategy and give you SEO best practices.
Should you want on-going SEO support, we have other agencies we can recommend to you.
Do I need to have anything already set up?
We can assist with purchasing your domain if that is something you haven’t done yet. We can also assist with hosting your site. If you have third-party software you use like MailChimp, CRMs or already have existing Google Analytics accounts we’ll need access to complete set up.
How long will it take to appear at the top of Google?
This depends on several different factors. Nobody can really say how long it will take (even people who work at Google)! We will install SEO plug-ins to your site and implement SEO best practices to get your set up on and on your way to success.
What happens if my website gets hacked or goes down?
We recommend you participate in one of our ongoing website care packages. These plans take the worry away because you’ll know we’re monitoring your site, backing it up and ensuring it’s safety!
Where do you host your websites?
We use SiteGround*, which specializes in WordPress hosting. SiteGound continuously comes out on top, we super-fast servers, WordPress optimized hardware and software, and excellent speedy technical help 24/7.
*this page includes affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase through this link we may receive a small commission. We are not affiliates of programs that we use ourselves.