StarterSite

The StarterSite package is for businesses and organizations that need a professional web presence but also need to be especially efficient with time and money.

Websites are almost inevitably more complicated than you think they should be. Beyond any technological considerations, a website is your best employee, and probably your primary way of communicating that your business exists to the world. Chances are you’ll be improving your website forever—and that’s a good thing. Our StarterSite package is for those who are on a budget but want to get started out right so they can keep improving without having to start over. You may be a good candidate for this package if:

  • you already have a logo and/or established brand identity that you are happy with (or that may need some light polishing)*, AND
  • you already have visual assets and/or content that simply needs to be published or adapted to the web, OR
  • you will be developing some content and need a bit of help and outside perspective—within a small budget.

*If you don’t yet have an established brand identity consider our Communication Essentials Plus (CE+) program which combines the StarterSite package with our Communication Essentials program

How will it look?

We work together to create a custom-designed look and feel for a simple website that will work well for your business now, and also gives you room to grow. Rather than spending a lot of time re-thinking navigation placement or page layout, we focus on getting your custom design and key messages in place within our pre-defined StarterSite framework. The result is a professional website that’s similar to the one you’re on right now but unique to you. Some patterns are good to follow because they work.

Check out a few StarterSites to see how customized they can be: Barncat Publishing, Trinity Natural Medicine, and AspirePath

You will be able to add pages, sections, and content to your StarterSite through an easy-to-use content management system (customized WordPress). We’ll also give you one hour of training on your content management system (CMS), plus a handy reference guide to make sure you’re up to speed with how to maintain and grow your site. As you’re ready, we can help you add other custom features to evolve and expand the core functionality of your StarterSite as needed. And since WordPress is a commonly-used CMS for many different kinds of websites, it won’t be hard to find someone else to work with later if you choose.

What you get

  • A custom-designed functional website you will love* that will communicate your essential messages, give the right impression, and allow people to find you and connect with you for next steps.
  • Meetings with us where we talk about your future goals, audience, and various details. We’ll answer any questions and help to keep you on track with generating content.
  • We format your content for a homepage and up to 5 additional pages
  • Coordination of domain name registration, web hosting set-up, and help with one business email set-up if needed
  • A customized self-hosted WordPress content management system (CMS) for editing your website from any Internet connection
  • Up to one hour of training on your CMS (for 1-3 people) and a CMS handbook with technical documentation about your new website
  • Your choice of 3 of the following 5 add-on options:
    • a short form on the contact page that sends an email to your inbox
    • a GoogleMap or custom map image on the contact page
    • links to social media outlets and optional share bar
    • a 3-5 image slideshow on the homepage
    • a sign-up box for an email list or e-newsletter

What you don’t get

We can set you up with all kinds of awesome features—nearly anything you might need, and we’re happy to help. We’ve packaged the StarterSite to make a professional online presence easy and affordable for clients who fit a certain pattern. If you want more than 3 of the 5 options above, or any of these other commonly requested features, let us know so we can give you a custom quote:

  • Special information architecture for complex content (If you want to change the StarterSite layout or plan for lots of growth)
  • Logo design or extensive visual asset development (If you don’t yet have an established brand identity consider our Communication Essentials Plus (CE+) program which combines the StarterSite package with our Communication Essentials program)
  • Quote module (rotating testimonials, customer comments, etc.)
  • Photo gallery, integrated with Flickr
  • Additional forms
  • Calendar
  • Dynamic content feeds (internal or external, such as from social media sites)
  • Search Engine Optimization Strategy (beyond standard best practices)
  • Stock images or custom illustration
  • Shopping cart
  • Blog (also called a non-blog-blog, or a blog-like-thing for those with an aversion to the term)
  • Email marketing vendor integration (beyond a standard sign-up box)

Download a PDF with details of the process and what you can expect.

StarterSite package details

How does it work?

The StarterSite package delivers great value because it follows a streamlined version of the same process that we use for larger, highly customized website projects. We’ll keep you informed of what’s needed from you all along the way. It’s a fun and collaborative process and the more you put in, ultimately the more you will get out. Check out the PDF link to the right for details.

Cost

$2,850*
*Cost is exclusive of the website hosting fees, domain name registration and the purchase of stock images or special fonts. Hosting and domain registration should cost around $100 per year. See below or ask us for more info about these details.

Timing

It normally takes about 4 weeks from the time your job is scheduled to complete your StaterSite. However, your response time for approvals and providing complete and finalized content can impact the timeline. We only take on a limited number of StarterSite projects so you’ll want to check with us about the availability to schedule your job. Similarly, if you need the site done super-fast you can always ask and see if we’re up for it.

How do I get started?

If you’re interested in the StarterSite package, then simply complete this brief form. By submitting the form, you’re not obligating yourself to this package. We want to be sure the StarterSite package is the right thing for you before we commit to working together, and to do that we’ll need to get to know each other a little bit.

Frequent Questions…

*How can you be sure I’ll love the design? ?

The way we work ensures you’re involved and on-board every step of the way. The StarterSite package has a built-in creative planning and discovery process that has worked for many values-based businesses to develop communication materials that empower their ability to make a difference. We solicit lots of information and feedback to make sure our recommended design makes good sense for you. 

But what if I don’t even have a logo or any existing materials? ?

If you’re brand-new (or unhappy with your current brand identity), we recommend you consider our Communication Essentials Plus (CE+) program. Through CE+, we’ll take you through a more in-depth creative strategy process, and you’ll get a logo design, business stationery, PLUS everything that comes with the StarterSite package. This way you’ll have nice consistency and professionalism with your brand identity, which will translate well across media, stand the test of time, and provide greater value to your business. CE+ can be a good idea also if you have some existing brand identity that you like but are wanting to invest more in polishing or evolving it for a particular reason.

Where will my website be hosted? ?

Whether you already have a web host set-up or are not sure what exactly a “web host” is, we’ll coordinate with you to take care of the details. The cost of web-hosting and domain name registration is not included in the StarterSite package but we will get you set up with the right services for your needs and take care of getting everything configured.

We typically suggest Hostgator.com for web hosting (and domain registration) because they are reasonably priced, easy to work with and compatible with latest versions of WordPress (plus, they are wind-powered!). We can also fill you in on how to navigate other details like business email, forwarding domains, etc. At the end of the project you’ll get documentation that helps you stay on top of technical details to easily maintain your hosting, domains, and website content over time.

Why isn’t the cost of the website hosting included? ?

We are simply not in the business of hosting websites or running clients’ web hosting accounts via a third-party provider, and we see this as a good thing for you. Why?

  • It’s cheaper for you in the long run. Including hosting fees would mean charging you marked-up annual renewal fees.
  • It’s your website and you should own it. We want you to work with us again in the future because you want to, not because we’re holding your website hostage!

So instead, we are happy to set up your hosting account and get everything arranged so the hand-off to you is simple. We are confident in our recommended web host provider and we could never provide the excellent, round-the-clock technical support that they do. In cases where clients already have a web host account established we’re happy to use their existing web host (provided it is compatible with the latest version of WordPress; most usually are).

Did you say you’re using WordPress? I don’t want my website to look like a blog… ?

When people think WordPress they often think “blog”. That’s because WordPress started out as a blogging platform that has empowered bazillions of people to publish content to the web. To understand what we mean when we say WordPress, first understand one essential difference: WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.

WordPress.com is where anyone can go and sign up for a free blog that will be super-duper easy to trick out with themes and add content—within limitations. A WordPress.com blog lives on the WordPress.com server and for many reasons is not a viable solution for most business needs.

On the other hand, WordPress.org is an open-source framework that can be used for creating self-hosted blogs and websites. You can log in to an administration portal to publish and edit content all without having to be a master of web languages like HTML, CSS, and PHP. Because it’s open-source, a huge community of people is constantly working to improve WordPress and create free and paid plug-ins that extend functionality. Combine this with some TLC from people who have specialized design skills and technical knowledge and you can get some pretty awesome results—both in terms of look and function. Tons of websites now use WordPress as a content management system (CMS) and you would never know by the way they look to visitors. For some examples, see any of the websites in our portfolio.

… or a generic template site! ?

We don’t want you to end up with a generic template site either! Although our StarterSite uses an existing framework with a horizontal navigation and two-column layout, there are endless possibilities for creating a completely unique look and feel. That’s the whole point. If it’s not branded for your business or organization, if you feel like you have to choose some off-the-shelf, inflexible design, then it’s really not going to be worth much to you in the end. The StaterSite package is all about allowing for the right amount of creativity and customization while leveraging existing constructs and functionality so that it can be affordable and completely your own. Designs can end up looking totally different (like this, or like this).

Can I do this myself to save money? ?

Absolutely! If you are tech savvy, have design skills, access to software, knowledge of web programming languages, and some time to invest then you may be well-served by going it alone for now. It all depends on your unique situation and what you hope to achieve. The StarterSite program is definitely not for everyone and we only want to offer it for people that will get the most value.

Even for people without web design skills there are some decent build-your-own website options out there. Depending on your needs these can provide good-enough (and occasionally even super slick-looking) results. But most build-your-own solutions don’t allow you to own your content, or have complete control over your domain name, and ultimately that means severe limitations with managing and expanding your site. What may seem like a great deal at first can have you starting over from scratch when it’s time to take your business (and your website) to the next level.

Plus, there’s really no substitute for having something designed with you in mind by an experienced professional. The thing to realize is that building a website is about much more than technology. Informed outside perspective about how you communicate yourself through your website is a huge part of the value. That’s why our StarterSite package is a good option for clients who are serious about starting a self-hosted website and building a brand. You get a healthy level of self-sufficiency without sacrificing quality and longevity.

We created the StarterSite package because we believe it is an excellent value for the right client. Working with us buys you access to technical expertise, business savvy, and design sense that likely exceeds your own because we’ve been doing this for years. That means no pulling your hair out for an entire weekend when you get it almost right but can’t figure out how to do X, Y, and Z. It means having an outside perspective on how you’re communicating about your business. You will participate in the process, and the more you put in the more you’ll get out. We’ll help you focus on what you do best and teach you what you need to know.